New head of Cape schools to start Tuesday

An air of hostility hung over a November forum for parents to thresh out what they were looking for in a new superintendent. After four superintendents in 11 years, they knew what they wanted.

Troubled by a low graduation rate, an achievement gap, financial bungling and what they described as a lack of communication, parents said above all they need a leader who keeps the focus on students and their success.

Dr. Jim Welker, hired for the Cape Girardeau position in February, has been closely studying lists of ideal attributes produced at that meeting. He has memorized the order of preferences for four groups — the school board, administrators, certified staff and the community.

When he starts Tuesday, Welker will begin by trying to unite the community and will work closely with board members and administrators to set goals. He realizes that most of the groups' requests boil down to creating a "team concept — getting everyone working together to promote schools."

He plans on hitting the ground running but warns that change "is not going to happen overnight."

Welker comes to the position with a perspective unlike many of his predecessors. Having lived in Cape Girardeau for 27 years, he's already well-known, and by many people's accounts, well-respected. Two of his children attended Central High School.

Leaving a position as assistant superintendent for finance for the Jackson School District, Welker is well-versed in budget law. Cape Girardeau's last superintendent, Dr. David Scala, was removed by the board after the discovery of a $700,000 error.

But Welker is also taking a leap of faith in accepting the superintendent position. In transferring from Jackson to Cape Girardeau, Welker will see a significant change in the population of students he serves and the issues the district faces.

In Jackson, 95.4 percent of students are white, 29 percent qualify for free or reduced-price lunch and 1.4 percent drop out. In Cape Girardeau, 66.4 percent of students are white, 51 percent qualify for free or reduced-price lunch and 10.3 percent of students drop out.

State test results show similar disparities between the districts. The number of students who scored as proficient or advanced in Jackson is 11 percentage points higher in communication arts and 17.8 percentage points higher in math than in Cape Girardeau.

"The districts are very similar in terms of size. They are differences in terms of diversity, but I think you'll find a lot of the same issues," he said.

Welker has no specific goals for the district currently because he says he wants to develop them in conjunction with others. His proximity to the district has allowed him to tour schools, attend board meetings and meet with teachers already.

"He has a very calm demeanor about him. He listens to what others have to say, processes the information, and then acts. I think that's one of his strongest points, is his communication skills," said board president Kyle McDonald.

To keep things in perspective, Welker asks himself two questions whenever an issue arises: "What is the problem? And what is the solution?" he said. "It keeps the emotions and things out of it."

In his first year, Welker will be paid $135,000. His contract is for three years, but he said he would be "happy to be superintendent for a very long time." Longevity was a recurring theme at the November community forum.

Welker has his roots in Southeast Missouri. Born on a dairy farm in Gordonville, he graduated from Jackson High School and then continued on to Southeast Missouri State University. He transferred and graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia, where he earned a bachelor's degree in agricultural education. In addition to a specialist in educational administration degree, he also holds a doctorate in education.

He taught agriculture in Delta for nearly a decade, and worked another decade supervising agricultural education for the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Before coming to Jackson about eight years ago, he worked in Sikeston, Mo., for two years as an administrator.

Soft-spoken and genteel, Welker said he also has a fun-loving side. He enjoys hunting and fishing, plays the guitar and is learning the saxophone. He and his wife, who will teach at Jackson Middle School next year, have three children: Matthew, 28; Justin, 25; and Emily, 18. Emily will be a senior at Notre Dame Regional High School next year, a decision based in part on religion, he said.

"Obviously I believe in public schools and I promote that," he said. "We are very fortunate to have a lot of excellent schools."

At a Jackson School Board meeting Tuesday, board members spoke regrettably about losing Welker to "tiger country."

"Your work has been tremendous for our district," Jackson superintendent Dr. Ron Anderson said.

lbavolek@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 123

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