CAPE HAS RACIALLY IDENTIFIABLE SCHOOL

Racially unbalanced schools aren't just limited to Kansas City and St. Louis districts: Cape Girardeau also has a racially identifiable school.

Cape Girardeau has never faced court-ordered desegregation like the state's larger cities, but complaints have been made alleging racial discrimination at both the high-school and elementary levels.

In 1995, Juanita Spicer and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People filed a federal complaint against Cape Girardeau public schools. The complaint alleged that the district placed black students at May Greene Elementary School in special education classes without evaluations, suspended black, high-school students in disproportionate numbers and encouraged others to drop out of classes at Central High School.

Spicer, who heads the local NAACP branch's education committee, has not heard anything about the complaint since it was filed with the Office of Civil Rights and the U.S. Department of Education.

The education department conducted an investigation last April but has made no ruling.

"They found some things they didn't like, but they have talked to the district about the issues they found," she said, adding that a final ruling should be made soon.

The district has not been notified that it was out of compliance, superintendent, Dr. Dan Tallent, said. "Nothing will change until we receive official correspondence."

Although some of the specific problems listed in the complaint have been addressed, they haven't been completely solved, Spicer said.

After questions first arose about the high percentage of high school dropouts, the district started an alternative school program for at-risk students.

Spicer said: "I hope the students get something out of it. They were just walking on the streets before."

Even before the complaint was filed, Cape Girardeau administrators knew the district had some problems. May Greene Elementary School was listed as a racially identifiable school since it has a minority population of more than 60 percent. A school is listed as such when it has more than 50 percent minority students.

Dr. Neyland Clark, former superintendent, wanted to correct the problems by redistricting the neighborhood school boundaries. However, the community supported the neighborhood program for elementary schools and opposed redistricting.

Neighborhood school districts establish who attends a particular school. Many of the schools then reflect the racial makeup of the neighborhoods. But as housing patterns change in the city, the neighborhoods will change also, said Tallent.

"I think that as we look at our current plans and finish the facilities review, some things will occur so that we get a better balance," Tallent said. "It's not that the district is looking at that specifically, but we will see some changes."

Only 18 percent of the students enrolled in Cape Girardeau schools are black, while 80 percent are white. Communitywide, almost 91 percent of the city's residents are white. About 7 percent of the residents are black, while Asians, Indians and Hispanics compose the remainder.

The school district, which is in the midst of creating a five-year strategic plan, is looking at ways to improve education and buildings in the district.

Some of the problems facing Cape Girardeau's schools are indirect results of the statewide desegregation rulings.

"Every district has been handicapped because of the billions that have gone to fund enhanced programs," Tallent said. "They are spending two to three times the amount per pupil so that they have things that our kids do without."

Kansas City and St. Louis schools spend between $8,000 and $9,000 per pupil while Cape Girardeau spends $4,000 to $5,000 per pupil.

With the additional desegregation money that Kansas City and St. Louis schools received, Cape Girardeau would not have to worry about finding enough resources and opportunities for its students, Tallent said.