CAPE SCHOOL ISSUES TO BE DECIDED TODAY; COUNTY CLERK EXPECTS HEAVY VOTER TURNOUT

After more than a year of planning and months of campaigning, voters get their say today on two Cape Girardeau public school funding measures.

Polls open at 6 a.m. and close at 7 p.m.

On the ballot, voters will consider Proposition 2 and Proposition 3. Proposition 2 asks for permission to sell $14 million in bonds. Proposition 3 asks for a waiver of the Proposition C rollback.

In all, the tax levy would increase 69 cents per $100 assessed valuation. But because of a mandatory reassessment tax rollback, the levy would increase a total of 34 cents.

The increase in tax money would fund construction of an elementary school, a vocational-technical school, an addition at Jefferson Elementary and renovations to the district's other buildings. May Greene and Washington would be closed.

Also on the ballot today, Cape Girardeau voters will choose two of three candidates for the Board of Education. Seeking election are Bill Benefield, David Goncher and incumbent Bob Fox.

"We are ready to go," said Melvin Gateley, who has been collecting pledges of yes votes on the school funding issues. "We feel real confident and feel that all the indications are real positive."

School officials had hoped to collect pledges of 5,500 yes votes. Over 3,000 were received, but Gateley thinks more yes voters will head to the polls today.

"The number of cards we collected doesn't matter," Gateley said. "What matters is when they go in and vote yes twice."

"It's been a good communitywide project," he said. "Five or 10 years from now the school district will be beautiful and very modern."

Cape Girardeau County Clerk Rodney Miller predicts a heavy voter turnout, primarily because of the Cape Girardeau school issues.

He predicted that turnout might be as high as 40 percent. In Cape Girardeau, that would mean about 8,000 voters.

The number of absentee ballots casts is often a measure of what voter turnout will be, Miller said.

Just over 160 absentee ballots were expected by the end of the day Monday. A few absentee ballots were cast in the Jackson school board race, but Miller said the majority of absentee votes will be cast in the Cape Girardeau School District.

Voters will cast ballots at the same places they voted in November. That means voters in Cape Girardeau wards 17 and 13 have moved. Ward 17 votes at the A.C. Brase Arena Building, not at Clippard school. Ward 13 votes at Lynwood Baptist Church, not at Alma Schrader School.

The changes were made prior to the November general election and new voter-identification cards have been mailed. Polling places were changed because the schools lacked parking and space.

Votes will be counted at the Cape Girardeau County Administration Building.

Anyone who needs a ride to the polls today can call the school office at 335-1867 and volunteers will take voters to cast their ballots.