3 NAMED TO SCHOOL POSTS

Cape Girardeau Presiding Commissioner Gerald Jones smiled like a proud father as Cape Girardeau's three new Board of Education members, Harry Rediger, Bob Blank and Dr. C. John Ritter, received congratulations.

Commissioners ended their two-week search by presenting the three new board members Thursday morning.

Rediger, Blank and Ritter will be sworn in today at a special noon meeting at the school board conference room, 61 N. Clark.

"We're done," Jones said, adding that there isn't any doubt with the added members "you've seen the last of the controversy."

Commissioners got the job of picking the board members through a rarely used state law that assigned the duty to the commission when more than two vacancies occur. In the wake of months of controversy, board members John Campbell, Kathy Swan and Pat Ruopp resigned within a week span.

Thirty-one people expressed interest in being a board member. The commission used five criteria to pick the new members.

-- Qualifications and community involvement.

-- Degree of past involvement in community affairs.

-- Demonstrated involvement in management of assets and capital.

-- Narrative during interviews.

-- And the ability to be elected, if they chose to run.

Jones said, "We saw our job to be restoring stability, confidence and trust in the school board."

Commissioners said the job wasn't to balance the board in terms of gender, race or city geography.

"We feel we have selected three individuals who are open-minded, mature, experienced and stable," Jones said.

Marie Walker was a strong candidate, commissioners said. However, they wondered if a conflict of interest exists. She is a social worker for the Division of Family Services but works from an office at May Greene School 2 1/2 days a week. Commissioners checked with Missouri's ethics commission, which said although no specific conflict exists they could see how a conflict could be perceived. Its advice: When in doubt, don't.

Blank, who is president of Bi-State Oil Co., said he is a listener and is ready to listen to people in the community concerning the direction for the school district.

"I think people expect truthfulness and straightforward talk," he said.

Commissioner Joe Gambill called Blank "a meat-and-potatoes kind of guy" who brings a lot of common sense and business know-how to the board.

Blank served on the Trinity Lutheran school board for four years, including two terms as president.

Ritter, who is an internist with Cape Girardeau Physician Associates, brings 13 years of experience on Cape Girardeau's school board.

Ritter said the board is responsible for hiring and firing the superintendent, setting policies and ensuring fiscal responsibility.

"School board meetings are supposed to be boring," Ritter said. "You can count on them being a lot more boring from now on."

Rediger, manager of J.C. Penney Co. Inc., said, "We have a brand new school board and a new beginning."

The first step should be development of a strategic plan. He also wants to see the current redistricting efforts disband until a plan is in place.

He said the board needs to improve communication within the school system and in the community.

Toward that end, Rediger said he hopes to involve the other 28 people who expressed an interest in serving on the school board in some way.

School board president Bob Fox said the county commission selected three people who are readily identifiable in the community, well respected and who don't have any agenda. "That's what we need," Fox said.

He was pleased to see so many people interested in serving on the school board. "I hope that come election time in April the same kind of interest exists."

An orientation for the new board members is planned May 6. The first board meeting is May 8 at 6 p.m. at 61 N. Clark.

Fox said the board's first step will be to revisit Project Partnership. In 1991, three committees studied finances, facilities and educational programs. Fox was chairman of the facilities committee. Rediger was chairman of the finance committee.

Fox said some type of planning process involving the community is necessary.

"We need to set some priorities and some goals," he said. "We're ready to move forward."