Cape schools will face tough decisions if bond issue fails, say candidates at forum

As the Cape Girardeau School District enters uncertain territory with state funding prospects and the condition of its facilities, school board candidates have similar ideas about how to proceed.

Four candidates, incumbent Paul Nenninger, Hamner Hill, Don Call and Philip "Phil" Moore, debated district issues during a candidate forum Tuesday at the Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center. The candidates answered submitted questions regarding teacher pay, the role of the school board and the upcoming $40 million bond proposal for districtwide construction and renovation.

Two candidates will be selected to serve three-year terms on the board during the April 6 election.

During the election, voters will also decide whether to support the district's bond proposal. If the bond issue does not pass, tougher decisions are in store for the district, candidates said.

Along with an event stadium and auditorium at the high school, the proposal also addresses millions in deferred maintenance.

"Deferred maintenance is a disaster waiting to happen," Hill said.

Voting down the issue will affect the district's operating budget, Moore said. "At that point you have to drop back and punt," he said.

If the measure fails, Nenninger said, the district would regroup and approach voters with a different plan. As a board member, he voted for the bond proposal, but he was one of three dissenting votes when the board passed the facilities plan, the blueprint of the bond issue.

"I don't think it will be pretty" if the bond issue fails, Call said.

Candidates also spoke about their own selling points.

Call, a 1966 graduate of Central High School, referred to 20 years as an administrator in southwest Missouri. He said he understands the language of educators, which will help him be more effective.

"We speak a different language," said Call, who has been a regular at board meetings since filing. He said his daughter teaches at Clippard Elementary and his grandchildren will attend the district.

Moore, a 1988 graduate of Central High School, cited a vested interest in improving the district because his two sons attend kindergarten and second grade. He said he also brings a different perspective as a young businessman.

"I see things in numbers, dollars and cents," said Moore, a commercial loan officer for the Bank of Missouri.

Hill, who has lived in Cape Girardeau for 24 years, said he wanted to focus on four goals -- raising test scores, increasing the graduation rate, improving facilities and supporting extracurricular programs.

The district should increase community involvement with tutoring, he said. Hill, the chair of political science, philosophy and religion at Southeast Missouri State University, said he has been a volunteer math tutor at Franklin and Central Middle schools. His position with the university has also given him administrative experience in dealing with budget problems, he said.

Nenninger is finishing a three-year term on the board. He said he started volunteering for community projects, like Red House Interpretive Center and Community Caring Council, after retiring from 26 years with the Secret Service.

A 1968 graduate of Notre Dame Regional High School, Nenninger said maintaining the public school system is important for property values and to draw people into the community.

To be competitive, he said, the district will have to increase pay for younger teachers.

"We're not exactly as competitive as we'd like to be with starting salaries," Nenninger said.

abusch@semissourian.com

388-3627

Pertinent address:

1080 S. Silver Springs Road, Cape Girardeau, MO

301 N. Clark Ave., Cape Girardeau, MO