CAPE SCHOOLS WILL DISMISS EARLY TODAY DUE TO THE HEAT

Despite high temperatures and an early close, the first day of school in Cape Girardeau public schools went smoothly.

Classes will dismiss early again today, said Jim Englehart, director of secondary education.

Elementary students will go home at noon and secondary students will go home at 11:30 a.m. No lunches will be served.

"We really had a good opening of school," said Englehart.

First-day attendance across the district totaled 4,314.

"Last year we were at 4,339," said Englehart. "We are actually down about 25 students."

But he said absentees were high for the first day.

"Seventy-two enrolled students at the junior high didn't show up," he said, "and 42 didn't show up at the high school."

"Probably by Monday they will show up and our attendance figures will adjust."

Englehart said school administrators are concerned because secondary students did not attend their afternoon classes Thursday and will miss those classes today also.

"We will work out something internally with the schedule if the hot weather keeps up," he said.