LYNCH RETURNS AS COACH; SCHOOL BOARD ALSO SELECTS PRINCIPAL

Cape Girardeau public schools Athletic Director Gary Lynch will be head football coach at Central High School and a classroom teacher next school year.

The Cape Girardeau Board of Education approved Lynch's reassignment at its meeting Tuesday night.

The board also hired Richard Giles, principal at Lee Hunter Elementary School in Sikeston, to head Charles C. Clippard Elementary School.

Board President Pat Ruopp said a football coach selection committee recommended that Lynch become coach.

Board Vice President Ed Thompson said: "It seems to be a win-win situation in both directions: it gives us a proven football coach and it gives us a chance to get a different direction in our athletic department with the new AD."

This will be Lynch's third stint as head football coach at Central.

Ruopp said: "We feel like Gary is a very good choice for this position. We are very pleased. Gary has a track record as a head football coach. I really feel Gary is extremely well qualified as a football coach and I'm very happy for him that he has made that decision."

Board member Carolyn Kelley said: "In talking with Gary, his heart has been in football and I think he found that being an athletic director is not where his heart is. The committee felt he is an excellent choice."

Kelley said Lynch asked to be considered for the coaching job.

Lynch was not at the meeting.

Ruopp said a search will begin for a new athletic director. "That process will be just like any other administrative position: we will open it up for applications," he said.

The job description for the athletic director's position may be revised or updated before the new director is hired. A possible revision was handed to board members but was tabled for further consideration.

Ruopp said one of the top goals of the new athletic director likely will be to develop a marketing plan for the athletic program.

The new principal at Clippard School, Giles was "a top candidate for the district," said Richard Bollwerk, director of elementary education. Giles has been principal at the Sikeston elementary school for 13 years and has worked for that district 25 years, Bollwerk said.

"We were looking for someone with experience and a lot of other qualifications," Bollwerk said. "It's a tough act to follow Mr. Clippard."

In April, the board renamed Hawthorn Elementary school after Clippard, who is retiring at the end of the school year.

Bollwerk said the search committee was impressed with Giles' track record in Sikeston.

"He has done some very positive things in self esteem for students, and he has some ideas for Clippard about teacher morale and motivation," Bollwerk said.

In addition to his duties as principal, Bollwerk said Giles has worked in special services. "He knows how to deal with that element."

Giles is the brother of David Giles, principal at Alma Schrader Elementary School.

The board also approved reassignment of two teachers from Clippard school to ease overcrowding at Washington and Franklin.

Clippard has three sections at each grade level. Next year there will be two classes at the fourth grade and two at the sixth grade. The fourth grade is projected to have a total of 53 students and the sixth grade 52 students.

One of the teachers would be moved to Franklin School to establish a third section of third grade. A behavior-disorders class at Franklin will be moved to Clippard to make room for the additional class.

The other teacher would teach a third section of first grade at Washington School. A mentally handicapped class at Washington will be moved to Clippard to make room for the additional class.

Bollwerk said the two teachers who will be reassigned from Clippard will not necessarily be fourth- and sixth-grade teachers.

The board also approved hiring an additional behavior-disorders classroom teacher. The new program will be housed at Alma Schrader Elementary School. The board approved hiring of a speech therapist who will work primarily at the elementary level.

The two staff positions will not cost the district any additional money; their salaries will be paid with state and federal funds.