ALMA SCHRADER PARENTS POLLED ON ISSUES

Parents from Alma Schrader Elementary School want a chance to let the Cape Girardeau Board of Education know their feelings about issues including budget cuts and long-range planning.

The school's PTA conducted a survey of 284 families, 63 percent of the 452 families at Alma Schrader.

Results show that parents support maintaining neighborhood schools, even if it means redistricting the city. They also indicated they would support a tax increase to fund what they want.

Libby Roeger, president of the Alma Schrader PTA, presented the survey findings to the Cape Girardeau Board of Education Monday.

"Two hundred eighty-four families took the time to fill out a four-page survey," Roeger said. "That's how concerned they are about what happens in the school. And that's the message we want to bring to the board.

"I think parents didn't feel there was an adequate avenue to dialogue," Roeger said. "We felt this (survey) was the most effective way.

"We really do care about the schools and are eager to have some access to the decisions being made," she said. "With all the planning going on, we want to try to give them some input."

Some of the survey questions deal with recent budget cuts. Roeger said the idea to survey parents came about before district cuts were made.

"People were having concerns about the schools and they wanted an avenue to make their feelings known. The kindergarten parents formed a group to discuss overcrowding. By January, we were getting more and more phone calls.

"We solicited questions from parents at different grade levels. The survey went through four revisions and was tested for bias and accuracy."

Roeger said the results show that "parents at Alma Schrader want their children to attend neighborhood schools." Parents also indicated they would pay.

Sixty-one percent of parents responding to the survey said they want their children to attend Alma Schrader, regardless of the teacher-pupil ratio.

Ninety percent said overcrowding was an issue, and 65 percent supported redistricting as a way to alleviate overcrowding.

Sixty-three percent said they would vote for a tax referendum to construct a new elementary school. Only 22 percent said they would not pay for construction of a new school.

Fifty-three percent said they would support a 12 percent tax increase for operations.

The survey also questioned parents about the effectiveness of community input into school board decisions.

Sixty percent said the school board does not provide adequate ways to get community input into school issues.

Fifty-three percent either agreed or strongly agreed that there was a lack of effective administration and/or communication by the Board of Education.

Fifty-eight percent said they were not familiar with the Project Partnership, a task force of community members now meeting to help create a long-range plan for the school district.

Sixty-one percent either disagreed or strongly disagreed that the community has been adequately informed about Project Partnership and ways to contribute to any recommendations being made to the board.

Just 12 percent agreed or strongly agreed that Project Partnership effectively represents the interest of the entire Cape community. Forty-six percent disagreed or strongly disagreed. The rest had no opinion.

Among other issues addressed on the survey was a budget reallocation changing the distance students must live from school before they are eligible to ride the school bus.

Sixty-six percent feel the 1.5-mile busing limit is unreasonable for elementary school age children.

Thirty-three percent said they would be willing to pay for bus service.

Four years ago, parents at Alma Schrader said they were against the middle school concept.

The opinion has turned around. Seventy-one percent said they favor the concept of middle schools in some form.

"We wanted to have a chance to express our opinions," Roeger said. "This does represent concerns in our school, Alma Schrader. But I'm sure we are not the only school with concerns."