BELLE— The Maries County R-2 Board of Education on Feb. 27 discussed reimplementing their adult education program with help from a Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) grant if enough people are interested in the program.

“We have had an adult education program in the past for GED and HISET,” Superintendent Lenice Basham told the board. “We had Ms. Nilges here, and then she left. Then we hired someone else and we couldn’t keep that person. We feel there is a need in this community to bring back that program.”

Someone else has since stepped forward and expressed a willingness to lead the program.

“This commitment would be a couple of nights a week,” Basham said.

Basham said the board has been budgeting money for that program, but it has not been used.

“I need approval that we can post the position and hire someone new,” she said. “I also need to talk about what the program will look like because I want to make some changes to what the current program is.”

Basham asked Belle High School Principal Lea Hickerson to explain the difference between the GED program and the HISET program. Hickerson said HISET is what they have gone to for the state of Missouri.

“It’s a test that is given in sections, similar to the ACT in format,” she said. “In talking with DESE, they sent two officials out to the school to do a walk through and talk with the school about the finer details and see our facilities to potentially use our school as a hub for the area.”

If DESE does decide to allow Maries R-2 to be a hub and build an adult education for the area, they would provide the curriculum, books and other educational items necessary for the classes. They offered to write a grant, partial or full depending on participant interest.

“They asked that we maybe send out some feelers to see what kind of interest we do have,” Hickerson said. “If you guys are on board, we may have Jacob post something in the paper to see if we can get some feedback from the community and how many are interested. Is it 10 people, 30 people or is it two? Just so we know for DESE is it worth it for them to invest their time and money in us to be a hub for not only our community, but maybe Vienna, Owensville and Linn and other surrounding areas.”

“if there is somebody out there who would like to get their GED we would really like them to contact us so that we can get an idea of how many in the community we could serve,” Basham added in an interview later. “We have to at least serve five to seven people before they will apply for the grant now that they have okayed our facilities and technology.”

Hickerson said the DESE representatives were pleased with the internet and technology access at the high school.

“They are definitely interested in partnering with us if we can show a need or interest,” she finished.

DESE would allow the school to hire the instructor, but that instructor would have to go through DESE approved training and up to 20 hours of professional development every year.

“They have a standard they are trying to work to and the point of the program is that people are being taught to the HISET standards so they have more success on the test,” Hickerson said. “Also, the first time they take the test would be free through the training. If they fail, the second time it would only be $7.”

Hickerson added that giving a free test and then a $7 test is a big savings right now because it is about $120 to take the HISET. Those who complete the program have a graduation ceremony in May in Jefferson City with the commissioner of education, mayor and others in attendance.

Basham added that the school’s part of the grant is paying the salary of the instructor.

“We are opening the program up to other communities,” she said. “This is not just for our area residents.”

Tom Kinsey said opening the program up to multiple communities is good for everyone and he would support it. Other board members agreed.

Hickerson suggested inquiring to some of the businesses in town if they know anyone who may be interested in participating in the program.

“People who they have turned down or who were not eligible to work for them (because of their lack of education),” she clarified. “They’d be able to give us a scope of the people who are coming to them.”

Kinsey also suggested reaching out to the job search in Rolla who would know the people who don’t have a diploma.

“It would be a great benefit whether we actually get the grant or don’t get the grant to offer HISET and GEDs to the community,” Basham said.

She added that she is unsure where the nearest adult education program is located in the area.

The board approved the advertising to see if anyone was interested in the program with a 7-0 vote.