Moniteau School District board on Monday approved a motion pushing the first day of school back one day.

“We moved an Act 80, teacher in-service, day from November, and we added it to Tuesday (Sept. 8, the former first day of school),” said Tom Samosky, Moniteau superintendent.

The new first day of school will be Sept. 9, a Wednesday.

Samosky said the Act 80 day provides another opportunity for teachers to practice with the necessary equipment and format of teaching this year.

“We just wanted to provide them with more time to ensure we're able to execute our lessons and provide a strong education for kids in the brick and mortar as well as the kids taking the cyber school option,” he said.

Moniteau was already starting the year late due to large multi-million dollar construction projects throughout the high school and elementary school buildings, including roofing and HVAC work.

“We're very much in the punch list and the closeout phase right now,” said Jeff Campbell, director of buildings and grounds.

Campbell said the roofing will add energy efficiency, while the HVAC work will give both buildings some state-of-the-art technology.

“The unit ventilators and everything, they all have sensors in them and smart panels,” he said. “All the instruction areas have the carbon monoxide sensors in them. They'll automatically open up to allow more air into the area.”

Campbell said both buildings will have full air conditioning by the start of school, and teachers will be pleased with the comfort it lends the learning environment.

“I went into that classroom; I couldn't even hear the thing running. It's amazing,” he said. “Ten years ago, you would have teachers screaming because the equipment would be so loud; they couldn't teach.”

Campbell said a new generator has also been installed at the high school, which was closed for almost a week following an extended power outage last year due to an ice storm.

He said Dassa McKinney Elementary School already had a suitable generator.