GROUP DOESN'T WANT BOARD TO EXTEND CLARK'S CONTRACT

A group of Cape Girardeau school district patrons wants the board of education to forgo extending Superintendent Neyland Clark's contract.

In a brief statement at the end of Wednesday's board meeting Terry Ashby, a spokesman for the group, said extending Clark's contract would be a mistake.

After the meeting, Ashby cited the district's inability to pass a bond issue and voters' rejection of a tax rollback waiver as evidence that the community's trust in the board and superintendent is waning.

Another member of the group, Amy Randol, spoke out at the June board meeting against a decision by the superintendent to allow students who had not completed graduation requirements to participate in commencement.

Since that meeting, she has tried to learn more about how the school district makes decisions. She also has sought district financial information.

But Randol said Clark and board members are unresponsive.

"I feel like I've been patted on the back and told this will all take care of itself," she said.

Superintendents in the Cape Girardeau school district historically have held three-year contracts. Each year, after a review by school board members, the contract typically is extended for one year.

Clark's contract has two years remaining because the evaluation process isn't completed.

School board president Ed Thompson said the written evaluation of Clark by board members is done.

Thompson expects that a meeting between himself, Clark and board member John Campbell will be held next week. As past president of the board, Campbell coordinates the annual evaluation.

The entire board likely will discuss the superintendent's performance during a closed meeting at its annual retreat, scheduled for Aug. 5-7.

"After that," Thompson said, "a decision will be made about extending his contract."

Campbell said a few district patrons have contacted him concerning the superintendent's performance.

"I've talked to those citizens, although that's outside the usual limits of the process," he said. "I want to be sure anyone who has anything to say, I do hear it."

The ball is in the school board's court, Ashby and Randol said.

But they are preparing a signature petition, which might call for Clark's resignation.

Randol wants board members to sit down with members of the group to discuss the situation, although she doubts it will happen.

"I met with a board member today, and he said he sees no problem," she said.

Neither Ashby nor Randol would say how many people are involved in their group, which has met once in a home.

In other business Wednesday, the school board voted to start a varsity girls soccer program in the 1995-96 school year. The cost of the first year of the program will be $5,000 in addition to coaches' salaries.

Board member Steve Wright cast the sole vote against adding girls soccer. He said starting a new sports program would send a message to the community that the school district has excess money.

But Clark said the district offers 12 boys varsity sports but only nine girls sports. "We felt it would be less expensive to provide the program than to defend in court why we didn't have the program," he said.

Board member Lyle Davis said, "Nobody wants to be throwing money around. But I don't think that's the case here."