MEETING SET ON SERVICES FOR `GIFTED'

State education officials will hold a series of meetings this month with teachers, parents and other interested persons to get their ideas for improving services for Missouri's gifted students.

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education will be conducting seven meetings around the state this month, including one in Cape Girardeau on April 26 from 7-9 p.m.

The Cape Girardeau session will be held in the Alma Schrader Elementary School gymnasium at 1360 Randol St.

Each of the regional meetings is open to the general public.

"We would like to get feedback from educators and parents about current programs for gifted students and ideas about directions for the future," said David Welch, director of gifted programs for the state.

Topics to be discussed include procedures for identifying gifted children in school, instructional methods, and current state guidelines for the operation of gifted education services.

About $16 million in state funds this school year are being distributed to 264 school districts that offer special programs for gifted students. The programs serve about 24,000 students statewide and involve 700 teachers, Welch said.

Under state law, school districts can receive state funding to cover up to 75 percent of the cost of teachers' salaries and instructional materials in approved programs for gifted students.

Because of state-level budget cuts, however, the reimbursement rate has been reduced this year to about 68 percent, Welch said.