CAPE SCHOOL BOARD SET TO OK CALENDAR

The Cape Girardeau Board of Education will discuss the calendar for next year and proposed summer maintenance projects, including installation of an elevator at Central Junior High School, when it meets Thursday.

The board will meet at Jefferson Elementary School, 520 S. Minnesota, at 4:30 p.m. The meeting has been rescheduled for Thursday from Jan. 11.

Superintendent Neyland Clark said the proposed calendar includes starting school before Labor Day and a week-long spring break.

If approved, the first day of classes would be Aug. 26; Christmas break would run from Dec. 19-Jan. 2; and spring break from April 1-10, 1994. The last day of classes would be June 9, 1994.

Clark said the long spring break is in response to the extended period of time between Christmas and the end of school.

"What we have noticed is a high degree of fatigue of students between the Christmas break and the end of school year," Clark said. "This is pretty consistent with what other school districts do."

Clark said the instructional staff has voted in favor of this calendar proposal.

Topping a list of summer building projects the board will consider is installation of an elevator at Central Junior High School. Elevators have already been installed at Central High School and at L.J. Schultz Middle School.

Other key items on the building list include replacing furniture at some buildings, building ramps for handicapped accessibility at the high school and replacing a section of the high school roof.

Other items on the agenda include specifications for bids on the district's banking services, a reminder of filing and election dates for board of education candidates, and a proposal for the Area Vocational-Technical School to hold an open house Feb. 7.

A closed meeting of the board is also on the agenda.