CAPE SCHOOLS TO CANCEL CARDS

Cape Girardeau's Board of Education voted to cancel its American Express credit card account, and stricter guidelines concerning travel expenses and reimbursements are in place.

But Amy Randol said after Monday's school board meeting that school board members missed the most important point of her letter, a question of leadership.

About 40 people crowded into the meeting room at the board office. Some sat on the floor. Others stood. About 50 more people stood in the lobby outside the room.

The school board meeting is scheduled to be aired on cable access channel tonight at 6.

Randol, a critic of Superintendent Neyland Clark, spent about 60 hours and $700 of her own money over the past six months to look at school district finances.

She discovered a handful of questionable expenditures and a pattern of sloppy record-keeping, especially by the superintendent. Clark turns in detailed receipts about half the time.

She wrote a letter last month to board members asking about what she discovered. Her investigation also prompted a series of articles in the Southeast Missourian.

At Monday's meeting, Clark said that as a result of Randol's questions about $85 has been repaid by board members and himself for charges inappropriately billed the district. Charges included alcohol, in-room movies and a payment to Clark for a meal that was paid through the credit card account.

Clark said that the district's auditing firm of Hillin & Clark has billed the district about $4,500 for its work looking into Randol's questions.

Board member John Campbell, who chair's the board's finance committee, suggested five steps to prevent similar future errors. The board approved all five in a motion.

-- Close the district's American Express account.

-- Review the district's procedures relating to the payment of travel and other expenses of administrators, staff and board members.

-- Examine travel expenditures for adequate support and propriety from July 1, 1992, through Dec. 31, 1994.

-- Any expenditures deemed inappropriate will be reimbursed to the district.

-- Provide a written, point-by-point response to Randol's letter.

After the motion was approved, Campbell presented Randol with an eight-page response to the specific questions in her letter.

Campbell said the examination of travel expenditures is important, not only for accountability but to assure the public that the situation is under control.

Randol said although board members and the superintendent can repay oversights and explain expenditures, that doesn't make the practices right.

"I hoped for a response, but I think they are responding to the wrong things," Randol said. "They missed the point of the letter. It's not the money. It's not the amount. I'm talking about standards and principle. They need to lead by example."

Randol said her investigation is over. "I think the public is aware of some of the things going on. They will have an opportunity to express their views in April."

Two members will be elected to the school board in April. Incumbent Ed Thompson is seeking re-election. Incumbent Lyle Davis didn't file for re-election.

Board member Steve Wright said he felt the situation was mishandled from the start. When he received Randol's letter in February he asked Thompson to call a board meeting. Thompson said Wright asked for a closed meeting, which wouldn't have been legal. But Wright said that wasn't the case.

Fox told Thompson, "You could have called a special meeting."

Wright also said he feels the situation is serious and warrants serious consideration. He received a round of applause.

The board voted to move the section of the agenda for comments from the audience to the top of the agenda, following approval of the minutes and prior to any discussion about the credit card account or Randol's letter. No one from the audience spoke.