BOARD DISCUSSES GRANTS; MORE THAN $100,000 AT STAKE FOR SCHOOLS.

In tight budget times, educators at Cape Girardeau public schools are trying to ferret out money wherever it lies.

At the Board of Education meeting Monday, staff members reported on grant applications that could net the district over $100,000.

"We need to do as much of this as possible," said board member Pat Roupp. "These grants mean extra money for the district."

The district recently cut $1.2 million from its budget, and board members said every dollar counts.

The school board is expected to meet again before the end of the month in special session to hear a final plan for student transportation.

At the meeting, Director of Secondary Education James Englehart said that the one-mile radius for student ridership eligibility will remain in place for the coming year. He said the starting time for school at both the elementary and secondary level is still up in the air.

In March the board had changed the ridership eligibility as part of the budget-cutting process. But Englehart said budget savings have been realized through improving efficiency.

Monday's meeting followed a three-day retreat for the board at which the board said it hopes to build new schools and is looking toward a spring 1993 vote.

Following a brief overview of the retreat, board member John Campbell said, "We don't have a large public contingent here to protest, so I hope that means we are on the right track."

Attending the meeting were a handful of teachers, a representative from an architectural firm and media representatives.

Discussion of grants, some applied for and others approved, dominated the meeting.

Director of Special Services Betty Chong reported on a grant application to provide $44,893 to the district for development of a Caring Communities Project. The money from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education would provide seed money for inter-agency collaboration based at public schools.

"We would bring all the social-service services and school services together to link our families with the proper agencies," Chong said. The goal is to reduce any duplication of services and to "best serve our children."

Only five school districts were invited to apply for the money, Chong said.

Director of Elementary Education Richard Bollwerk reported on a grant for $8,860. If funded, the money would enable the district to initiate a Practical Parenting Partnership program initially for kindergarten through second-grade.

"This would be kind of a follow- up to Parents as Teachers," Bollwerk explained. "Where the Parents as Teachers program is for preschool-age students, Practical Parenting Partnerships would support parents with school-age children.

"We envision evening group meetings with families similar to Parents as Teachers, where a parent-educator would talk with parents and students about support systems, health and relationships with the school system."

Both of the grants are competitive and may or may not be funded. Bollwerk said the grant applications are being read this week.

Three Cape Girardeau teachers' incentive grants, applied for in spring 1991, have been tentatively approved for the coming school year. Bollwerk explained that about $2 million for incentive grants last school year were withheld by the governor. Money for the coming year became available, and those applications from last year were reconsidered.

Bollwerk reported that tentative approval has been given to a grant by Judy Gau for an elementary math project; Barbara Egbert for a reading program; and Helen Gibbar for a biology project.

The district will also receive $53,700 in Drug Free Schools grant funding.

Bollwerk said a dollar figure is assigned to each project; then advisory committees outline how the money will be spent. That outline still must be approved.

The application calls for money to be used to again employ a substance-abuse counselor and also to fund the DARE program for sixth-graders, among other items.