FOX, GONCHER RE-ELECTED TO SEATS ON CAPE SCHOOL PANEL

Voters re-elected incumbents Dr. Bob Fox and David Goncher to positions on the Cape Girardeau Board of Education Tuesday.

Candidates competed for two, three-year positions on the school board. Fox won in all but two precincts, carrying 3,224 votes, including absentees. Goncher edged out challenger Martha Zlokovich by 101 votes in a 2,237-2,136 decision.

Fox, who is entering his fourth term in office, is a former school board president and chairs the board's legislation committee.

He said he plans to help the school board complete work on the long-term plan for facilities, programs and finances created in 1996 and will begin work planning for the next five years.

"Another three years is a good time commitment, but I wanted to see this through to the end," he said. "We also have to tackle some of our budget issues, but then we're going to have a good school that will last for years to come."

Goncher, who was re-elected to a second term, also said his first priority is completing work on the district's master plan. School officials need to address a number of issues in the near future.

"The operating budget, teachers' salaries, equipment and materials for kids all that needs to be addressed," Goncher said. "We're going to have to find the money to accomplish those goals."