GROUP BOOSTS SCHOOLS; POPLAR BLUFF GROUP IS NOW TAX EXEMPT

POPLAR BLUFF -- An organization raising money to promote academic excellence at Poplar Bluff High School is among the first of its kind in the state to be granted tax-exempt status.

Because the Academic Assistance Group is one of the first established to raise money to promote academics, the tax-free status was granted for only four years, said Clinton Summers Jr., a Poplar Bluff accountant involved with the group.

"At the end of those four years they will look at what we have done," Summers explained. Then the process will begin again, but at that time it will be for permanent status.

Now, those who donate to the Academic Assistance Group may include their donations among the other deductions on their federal income tax.

The tax-free status came at the same time the members of the group had another reason to celebrate the first anniversary of the Academic Assistance Group.

The Academic Assistance Group is the brainchild of Mary Findley, a Poplar Bluff High School English teacher. Initially, it was meant as a way of raising money for academic "frills." But because of a budget crisis in the school district, it has provided some basic items instead.

"We are a little bit dismayed by the fact that when we first began we had hoped we would be able to enhance what was already there," Findley said. "But we're finding our needs are so great we've almost been compelled to help with the basic things before we can look at funding and setting up programs."

During the last year, the Academic Assistance Group raised about $20,000 from donations, memorials, a rummage sale and some of the proceeds from the annual doctor/lawyer basketball game, Findley said. It used the money to buy an electronic duplicator for the high school, printers for the computerized library, and it twice sponsored the Knowledge Master Open, a computerized "College Bowl" type of examination that allowed Poplar Bluff students to compete with other students across the country.

In addition, it sponsored programs for students and their parents on college applications and scholarships, held a college night where Poplar Bluff graduates talked to juniors and seniors about college life, and held a program on summer opportunities.

The Academic Assistance Group honored the top 30 graduates of the class of 1991 with a thesaurus, and bought satin collars for members of the National Honor Society to wear on their gowns at graduation.

In 1991-92 the Academic Assistance Group will bring back the academic letter award.

Findley will attend the first Missouri Academic Association Convention in Columbia Aug. 9 to participate in the formation of the rules and format of a Show-Me Academic Challenge. She said she hopes that the Academic Assistance Group can send Poplar Bluff students to compete on the district level in April of 1992 and the state level the following month.

The group is also working to establish an alumni association at the high school.

In one year,the Academic Assistance Group collected 230 members. The group still holds the hope that it can at some point go beyond providing the basic things which the school district cannot provide because of financial shortcomings. Among those goals, according to vice-chairman Richard Kalich, is to become as well known academically as the Mules football team is known for its accomplishments.

"We would like Poplar Bluff to have a reputation statewide for academic excellence and some of the outward manifestations of that," Kalich said. "Our feeling is academics should be top priority and the primary focus in the students' lives in high school. We want to get as many of our kids as possible to be prepared either for highly technical jobs, which are becoming our entire economy, or go on to further education."

Someday, Kalich said, the group hopes to be able to provide enough money to fund a writing lab with 30 personal computers so the school can have a state-of-the-arts writing program. It would like to be able to provide enough money to enhance the robotics program, to outfit a physics lab and promote practical math and science application.

"The high school and district have been very supportive of our efforts," Findley said. "We want our high school alumni to get involved as college alumni groups do. We hope we can enhance what is there and not just provide the basic things."