NINE VIE FOR SCHOOL BOARD SEATS IN CAPE AND JACKSON

Voters in Cape Girardeau and Jackson school districts will decide Board of Education races when they go to the polls Tuesday.

Both districts must fill two three-year positions on the school board.

Cape Girardeau voters will choose between three candidates. Incumbents Mark Carver and Dr. Ferrell Ervin both are seeking reelection, along with challenger Martha Zlokovich, who had a strong showing in a failed campaign last year.

Each of the candidates has voiced support for a tax increase proposal voters will consider in August to boost lagging staff salaries and cover increasing operational costs. They said increased state funding is probable but may not be realized for years, and the district is properly turning to the community for more support.

Six candidates are vying for seats on the Jackson school board. Incumbent Gerald Adams seeks a second term in office against challengers Donna Tidwell, Kevin Schaper, Mack Illers, James Woeltje and Tom Liebeknecht.

For the past five years, most school board candidates in Jackson have focused their campaigns on the need for the district to manage fast-paced enrollment growth. But candidates on this year's slate have focused on planning regarding the high school campus and the district's sagging fund balances.