BOARD OFFERS OPTIONS ON ATTENDANCE CENTERS

After a lengthy discussion, Cape Girardeau school board members approved a compromise phase-in plan for some students affected by recently adopted school boundary changes.

Board of Education members voted to allow fourth-, fifth- and sixth-graders and their siblings the option of remaining at the school they attended during the 1998-99 school year. Parents of affected children will be asked to make a decision regarding the grandfathering process before July 30.

"You can set a limit and put a deadline on it, but just remember there will always be cases you'll have to hear from people who didn't make it," said school superintendent Dr. Dan Tallent.

The board's decision, which also applies to kindergartners whose siblings will be grandfathered, passed on a vote of 5-2. Board members Bob Blank and Dr. Ferrell Ervin cast the dissenting votes.

Ervin, the board president, said after the meeting: "In this particular instance I had reservations about the sibling participation because I don't know if we have a firm handle on the number of students who will participate and how that might impact enrollment in the buildings. Obviously the rest of the board did not have those same reservations."

The original motion made by Dr. Bob Fox only addressed grandfathering older children and their siblings beginning in the fall. However, the motion was rewritten a number of times by board members in an effort to preclude future issues regarding transportation of affected children, class assignments by principals, and future decisions by parents to opt out of the phase-in process.

The final motion read as follows:

"To allow grandfathering for all fourth-, fifth- and sixth-graders and their siblings enrolled in the 1999-2000 school year, with parents to provide transportation and all applications to be by July 30, 1999. Siblings of grandfathered children will be allowed to move into their attendance area. Any grandfathered children can opt out of grandfathering only to their assigned attendance area once."

Parents who have advocated grandfathering since the board began redrawing the boundary lines in February applauded when the motion passed. School board members said the compromise was the first step in improving relations between the school district and community.

"I think we have a chance to do exactly what we said in our study session and do something for the kids," said board member Mark Carver. "It's really a small effort for us to make."