Candidates in Leopold suggest boundary change

Allegations that as many as 42 students in the Leopold School District -- nearly a fourth of total enrollment in the small, rural school system -- are enrolled illegally have the district's school board candidates suggesting school boundary lines need to be changed.

Five candidates are running for two seats on the school board in Tuesday's election. The winners will replace board members Steve Seiler and Francis Nenninger, who aren't seeking re-election.

The residency issue has been a topic of conversation among Leopold area residents and school board candidates even as school superintendent Derek Urhahn continues to investigate the allegations made in an anonymous written complaint made to the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Candidate Bryan Stroder, 38, said he'd like to see the students stay in the school district. "I would like to get the district lines looked at and squared up," he said. "These old lines were established years ago."

Candidate Cindy Koenig, 37, said the school board needs to address the situation. "I feel maybe we could try to get the district boundaries changed," she said.

Danny James

"I really hate that we had a complaint," Koenig said. "I really would hate to lose that many children."

She said the loss of so many students would hurt the school district, which currently gets per-pupil state aid for those students. Under state law, state aid is calculated only on the number of resident students in a district.

School districts are required to charge tuition of out-of-district students who don't meet various exceptions. One key exception is that school district employees who live outside the district can enroll their children in that district without having to pay tuition.

Danny James, another candidate for the board, said school officials need to consider trying to change school boundaries to resolve the issue.

James, 34, said the district's boundaries can be confusing. James lives only 2.5 miles from the school, but he said his home is only 150 yards inside the school district.

The Leopold district's eastern edge borders the Delta School District. James said he'd like to see the Bollinger County-Cape Girardeau County line serve as the dividing line for the two school districts.

In any solution, the focus should be on educating students, he said. "To me the education of kids is more important than a boundary line," James said.

Candidates Cindy Wolpers, 37, and Roger Bucher, 42, said the board needs to thoroughly consider every option to address the problem.

mbliss@semissourian.com

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