BUSINESSMAN AIDS SCHOOL

A Cape Girardeau businessman and former Central High School basketball standout has pledged money to install a new wooden gymnasium floor at Central's new gym.

Kermit Meystedt, president of Genesis Transportation Co. Inc., spearheaded the effort approved by Cape Girardeau's Board of Education Monday.

The current gymnasium floor is made of a material called Tartan, which is essentially concrete covered with a rubbery substance, said board president John Campbell. The floor is relatively hard and has been blamed for causing injuries.

The new wooden floor will allow additional uses for the gymnasium in addition to reducing the likelihood of injuries to student athletes, he said.

Lyle Davis, chairman of the board's facilities committee, said, "We've been told that the floor is dangerous. It doesn't facilitate the needs of all the physical education classes or basketball. With the new floor, the gym can be used by more groups."

Davis said Meystedt and a group of others have been discussing the need for a new floor and ways to make it happen. Davis and other board members declined to release the price of the new floor, stating that figure should come from Meystedt.

Attempts to contact Meystedt were unsuccessful. He was attending his son's basketball game.

"It is very expensive," Davis said. "Certainly this is something we simply could not do. We cannot express how grateful we are."

Davis added that Meystedt approached the district and offered the gift.

Work on the floor should begin within two weeks, Davis said. He expects the floor to be finished before school starts in August.

Before work can begin, the financing agreement must be approved by the school district's legal counsel and the plans approved by the district's architect.

The board also approved first reading of a newly compiled policy manual. Work on the document was completed by the Missouri School Boards Association.

"The policy manual is a major achievement for the Board of Education," said board member Pat Ruopp. "The policy manual was one of the biggest mysteries to me.

"There were two different manuals and nobody knew which one was the official manual. There shouldn't be much mystery in the way of the policy manual any more."

James Englehart, director of secondary education, explained that the manual is not new, merely a compilation of policies already approved

As part of the agreement with the MSBA, the manual will be updated automatically.

In other business the board:

Designated Olan Mills studio as the district's official senior photographer for two years. Senior pictures used in the yearbook must be taken by that studio.

Will place Campster and Kage schools on the real estate market through a multi-listing agency. School officials hope to negotiate a reduction in the real estate commission.

Will meet for an annual planning session July 27 in Jefferson City. Members will confer with state education officials and the state Board of Education to hear more about Missouri's new school funding law. A presentation about the policy manual and performance-based evaluation also are on the agenda.