DAN TALLENT WILL RESIGN NEXT YEAR

Dr. Dan Tallent will end his brief career as superintendent of the Cape Girardeau School District when his contract ends on June 30.

The Cape Girardeau Board of Education released a statement announcing Tallent's decision after meeting in closed session Wednesday afternoon at the Vocational-Technical School. Tallent informed board members June 29 that he doesn't want to consider a new contract.

"The district has been fortunate to have a person of Dr. Tallent's experience serve in this leadership capacity during the past two years," the school board said in the statement. "The board is confident that he will continue to provide dedicated leadership during the remaining term of his contract."

Tallent said he has enjoyed his tenure as superintendent despite the financial problems the school district has faced. He said he has no immediate plans when he leaves the job but is considering options, including early retirement and other jobs in education or the private sector.

"I enjoy solving problems, and that's one of the reasons I came to Cape Girardeau to start with," he said. "I think right now I'm just going to look at the options I do have."

Tallent was hired in January 1996 after the school board bought out the contract of then-superintendent Neyland Clark. Board president Dr. Ferrell Ervin said Tallent's decision was not surprising because he had indicated when he was hired that he was interested in being superintendent for only three to five years.

"It didn't come as a real shock to us that he would go ahead and take this opportunity to move on to other opportunities," said Ervin after the meeting. "He really is nearing the time period when he could retire from teaching and administrating, and that may be part of his plan. He didn't discuss that with us."

A number of teachers said the announcement was unexpected. Sherry Ford, past president of the Community Teachers Association, and Sharon Williams, a member of the district's salary committee, both said they have regularly worked with Tallent and attended board meetings, and they were surprised.

"I know he's reaching that point in his career, but he didn't indicate anything like that when he called me," Ford said. She said she has worked well with Tallent on Community Teachers Association issues.

Said Williams: "I'm kind of shocked. I was not anticipating that at all. In as many meetings as I've be in, I had no idea he was considering this."

Board member Mark Carver said Tallent has met the challenges of his position well, and there are no bad feelings between the school board and Tallent.

"There was no animosity," he said. "I think (the fiscal problems of the school district are) a challenge for him, and he doesn't really let them phase him too much."

Tallent began his career in education in 1974 at Central High School, where he taught math and coached wrestling and cross-country. He returned to the school district in 1994, when he was hired as high-school principal, a job he held for two years before being named superintendent of schools.

He has also worked as superintendent at Meadow Heights, athletic director and assistant high-school principal of Perry County School District 32, high-school principal at Delta, and as a state supervisor of instruction in the Southeast region for the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Ervin said the school board has contracted with the Missouri School Board Association to begin the search process for a new superintendent. Committees including school district staff, students and patrons will be formed in September to aid the search process, he said.