CAMPSTER SCHOOL SALE WILL BENEFIT AUDITORIUM

Cape Girardeau's Board of Education pledged proceeds from the sale of old Campster School toward renovation of the Central High School auditorium.

But board members expressed doubt the $75,000 the building is expected to bring would be enough to fix problems at the auditorium.

High school students organized a joint meeting of the Board of Education and Student Senate Wednesday in hopes of convincing board members that the auditorium needs repair. They outlined a $100,000 renovation project.

Students explained problems with the auditorium, including mismatched seating, a leaking roof, torn theater curtains, rickety stairs and an unpredictable sound system.

"I feel what you are suggesting is admirable," board member Pat Ruopp told students. "My main concern is that $100,000 is not anywhere near adequate to do the job. Nearly everywhere you look can be pointed out inadequacies. This is an example of the gross needs of the district."

Ruopp and board member Lyle Davis said the district doesn't have money to make the improvements at the auditorium or in other school facilities.

"Basically we are having a garage sale and the proceeds will be used to fix up the auditorium," said Davis.

About a year ago, a project was begun to raise $100,000 from the community to renovate the auditorium, focusing on new seating. About $10,000 has been raised.

Students estimated that refurbishing the seating will cost $75,000. New stage curtains have a $10,000 price tag; carpeting, $10,000, plus $10,000 for technical improvements.

The cost figures do not include repairs to the roof or ceiling.

The auditorium was built in 1954 and at the time was state-of-the-art.

"What you see now is the result of `Well, we'll do a little bit now,'" said Chris Robertson, chairman of the Student Senate.

For example, in 1976 about one-third of the green theater seating was replaced with gold plastic seating. At another juncture, half the ceiling tiles were replaced.

Robertson said students hope the renovation project could be completed all at once.

Campster School, which has not been used for classes in many years, is now designated surplus property and is for sale. The minimum bid is $75,000.

Superintendent Neyland Clark said money gained from sale of surplus property should be reincorporated into a similar project.

"This would be a very visible place where the funds from the sale of Campster school can go," he said.

Davis proposed that the facility committee of the school board look at the scope of the project and ways to come up with additional money.

Board president John Campbell also suggested that students solicit money from the Booster Club and other private funding sources.

The board also approved a ceiling bid of $106,346 from Kiefner Brothers for installation of an elevator at the junior high school. The low bid by Kiefner was about $30,000 over the amount budgeted for the project.

Finance committee members were directed to talk with the contractors about ways to cut costs.