MINORITY ISSUES: WHY THE HURRY? BOARD SETS APRIL VOTE ON BOUNDARIES PLAN (DRAWING THE LINES -- LAST IN A SERIES)

A drive past the construction site for Cape Girardeau's new elementary school, where steel work and concrete is all that can be seen, has left parents wondering why there is a rush to redraw boundary lines and move children.

"Why do we have this sense of hurry?" asked Janet Berry, whose children would move from Alma Schrader to the new school, Barbara Blanchard Elementary School, under the proposal. "Let's slow down. There is no crisis or emergency. Why is this such an all-fired emergency?"

Perhaps, some parents suggest, more time is needed to look at the proposed boundary changes, to give new school leaders a chance to join the discussion, and to complete construction of the building.

Three members of Cape Girardeau's Board of Education will be elected April 6. At least one will be new to the board.

In addition, Cape Girardeau Superintendent Dan Tallent and two assistant superintendents, David Giles and Bill Biggerstaff, will leave at the end of the school year.

A new superintendent, Dr. Dan Steska, takes over July 1.

Steska said the best decision for Cape Girardeau would be made by the people who know it best.

"I don't think it would be a good idea to wait until all the new people are on board," he said. "We couldn't make the best decision compared to the people who are there now who know the neighborhoods and the people and the schools.

"We would have to start from ground zero, and that would really stall the whole process," he said. "And there's no guarantee we would make the right decision."

"Surely the people on the committee are educated, reasonable people with the best interests of children in mind," Steska said. "Why else would they volunteer to serve on a committee?"

From what he has read and heard, Steska said the decision-making process seems to be headed in the right direction.

"To the extent possible, the neighborhood concept is a very good idea," Steska said. "A lot of identity and ownership comes with that."

He said balancing racial enrollments is an important goal also.

The proposed changes to the boundaries were unveiled in February. The school board has said it plans to vote on the plan in April, two weeks after the April 6 board election.

"The vote needs to wait until the new people are on board," said Dee Dee Wilson, whose children would move from Alma Schrader to Blanchard.

Dr. Ferrell Ervin, president of the school board, said no hurry exists. "We have a full six weeks for public comment before we'll even look at it," he said.

But he added, "If we want to implement this for the beginning of the school year, we need to go ahead and finish all the planning."

Planning takes time. Bus routes must be drawn. Teachers and cafeteria workers must be reassigned. And parents want to know where their children will attend school next year.

New board members will have the same six weeks to study the proposal and listen to suggestions as sitting board members, Ervin said.

"We would like a chance to take this all in," added Andrea Schneider, whose children would stay at Alma Schrader under the proposal. "And we might have some better ideas."

Planning is already under way for the impending moves. All the children attending May Greene and Washington will move to a different school, regardless of what other boundary changes might be proposed.

And school officials are making a contingency plan in case construction of the new building falls further behind schedule.

The building was initially scheduled to open a year ago. But construction delays have plagued the project.

In February, Jim Baker, project manager for R.L. Persons Construction Co., said delays in acquiring structural steel and ordering the wrong kind of skylights have caused to project to fall even further behind schedule.

Contractors will be assessed a daily penalty beginning July 1 for not making the deadline. The new completion date is projected for July 30.

The first day of school for 1999-2000 hasn't been set, but it will be in late August or early September.

If the new building isn't ready, the suggestion from school administrators is to move ahead with the boundary changes. Students who would be attending Blanchard would be placed with their new teachers and classmates in classrooms at Washington or May Greene until the new building is ready to occupy.

"That way children are already in their nests," explained David Giles. "They are with their teacher and classmates. When moving day comes, we would move classroom by classroom."

"Children are wonderfully adaptive creatures," Giles said. "On the first day of school, everyone is new. By the end of the day, everyone belongs."

TIMELINE OF EVENTS

January 1997: Redistricting committee unveils initial boundary lines; school board asks for public comment

February 1997: Board approves boundary lines; kicks of campaign for bond issue and Proposition C waiver.

April 1997: Voters approve both ballot issues, with 65 percent approval of the bond issue and 64 percent approval of Proposition C waiver.

October 1997: Groundbreaking held for new elementary building.

January 1999

Redistricting committee reconvenes

Feb. 23

Committee submits proposal to school board; board asks for public comment

March 15

School board to hear amended proposal from committee

April

School board to consider adoption of the plan

July 30

Projected completion date for Blanchard Elementary.

Late August or early September

First day of school. (Calendar hasn't been adopted.)

NUMBER OF STUDENTS AFFECTED

The proposed school boundaries would require approximately 355 students to move from their current school to another in the Cape Girardeau school district.

Number of students to be moved from...

Clippard to Jefferson, 75

Clippard to Alma Schrader, 53

Alma Schrader to Clippard, 40

Alma Schrader to Blanchard, 49

Franklin to Jefferson, 54

Franklin to Blanchard, 84

Blancard and Jefferson receive students only.