CANDIDATES FAVOR PILOT CHOICE PLAN IN SCHOOLS

Two candidates for the Cape Girardeau Board of Education would welcome a three-year pilot project on school choice.

Bob Blank, a school board member, and Jacqueline Sproat said state legislation that would set up limited school choice in Cape Girardeau, Jefferson City, St. Louis and Kansas City public schools might be good for education.

"I wouldn't mind seeing a test run, especially in this area," said Sproat.

"Being a product of public schools, and my parents being public school teachers, I initially prefer public schools," she said.

But she said school choice could lead to competition between public and private schools, which might produce better students.

Sproat said parents should have a choice on whether to send their children to public or private school.

Blank said he's willing to give the pilot project a chance.

"We don't have the perfect system, and a pilot project would give us something else to look at," he said.

Blank said public schools have received failing grades from the nation's business community. "Corporate America says we stink."

Blank said government mandates have throttled the public schools.

"I think we really need to get politics out of education," he said.

But another candidate, board member Steve Wright, said he would want to be assured that such legislation wouldn't hurt the Cape Girardeau School District financially.

"There are so many unanswered questions as to what it will cost the district," he said.

"My main concern is the cost of the program to the district. We are a hold-harmless school district and we can't afford to lose any more money," Wright said.

The bill states that the pilot-project school districts would keep their funding regardless of any loss of students to private schools or other school districts.

The Missouri School Boards Association opposes House Bill 1037, which would provide vouchers for a limited number of low-income students to attend the school of their choice, public or private.

"We think that particular bill amounts to use of public money for private education," said Brent Ghan, director of public affairs for the school boards association.

"We simply believe that sort of approach is unconstitutional under Missouri's constitution."

Ghan said his group isn't necessarily opposed to school choice plans provided no public money is used to fund them.

Most of the school boards in Missouri are members of the association, including the Cape Girardeau board.

Ghan said private schools don't have to operate under the same rules as public schools.

"If private schools want to accept this sort of public subsidy, then they should have to operate under the same rules as public schools do," he said.

Ghan said it is unlikely that lawmakers will pass the House bill or any other school choice measure this session.

"We don't believe it is going to go anywhere in either chamber," he said.

State Rep. Mary Kasten, R-Cape Girardeau, is co-sponsor of the bill.

The Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce's education committee has invited Kasten and state Sen. Peter Kinder, R-Cape Girardeau, to discuss the legislation at a meeting Friday afternoon.

Kasten said she won't be able to attend because she will be traveling to Kansas City to witness her grandson's church confirmation.