PARENTS URGE MAY GREENE NOT BE CLOSED

Parents from across the city spoke against closing May Greene as an elementary school as part of any change in the Cape Girardeau School District.

The first public forum of the Cape Girardeau Board of Education was held Wednesday night at May Greene school. Eighty-five people attended and 21 of them spoke.

Other public forums are planned Nov. 9 at Alma Schrader and Nov. 15 at Central Junior High School. Both meetings begin at 7 p.m.

The board has requested community input on proposals to move the school district toward a middle school concept, with or without a new building.

Among possible scenarios is a plan to change May Greene to a sixth-grade center and allow parents of May Greene children from grades kindergarten through five a choice of attendance at other district elementary schools.

Brenda Harris, a parent with children attending May Greene, said choosing a different elementary school would be difficult, especially if some schools were to be closed to choice enrollment. "What if I choose Alma Schrader but they tell me the school is closed? I go check over at Clippard and they are closed. We may be groping for a school."

But more importantly, she said, changing May Greene from an elementary school would be the end of her neighborhood school. Other elementary schools are miles from her home, she said.

"What if my baby gets off the bus at the wrong place or has to run to his locker and accidentally misses the bus?" she asked. "Here he knows grandma lives here or his aunt lives there," Harris said.

Cindy Niswonger, a parent in the Clippard district, agreed that the neighborhood school concept is good. "This choice is being touted as something good," she said. "If I had my choice of where to go, I'd choose my neighborhood school."

She said if civil rights violations are a problem, forcing the whole population of May Greene to move to other schools is not a good solution. "Are we creating another violation by making these people move? This is primarily a minority population."

Libby Roeger, a parent in the Alma Schrader school district, said: "I find it repugnant that we would make the racial minority be the ones who have to relocate. If the district needs to be racially balanced, it should involve the whole city."

Prior to hearing comments from the audience, Director of Elementary Education Richard Bollwerk outlined three goals the district has been working toward. He also listed several options that might help the district move toward those goals.

The goals are to create a middle school for sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade students; to provide parents a choice of the elementary school within the district their children attend; and to eliminate a racial imbalance in the district.

May Greene Elementary School has a minority population above 60 percent. The district average is about 18 percent.

Alma Schrader parent Kent Kopf said: "I think you are solving the wrong problem. I think a large segment of the population doesn't agree with your three goals. Offering choice is only important if there is a difference. Instead, I think you should work toward quality education."

Mitch Mayberry, a parent in the Clippard district, said, "Looking at the map (of elementary school boundaries in the city), it looks like redistricting is long overdue."

He also asked if government intervention to correct racial imbalances is bad. "Kansas City and St. Louis had it, and what they got was additional state money."

Mary Ann Lewis, a first-grade teacher at May Greene, said she was saddened to hear that May Greene might no longer be an elementary school. "But the district must move forward with or without a new building," she said. "All the sixth-graders would benefit from a middle school. Although change may be painful, we must look at what is best for the children."

Barb Kohlfeld, principal at May Greene, said she hopes the school board considers quality of education and not racial imbalances. "We need to concentrate on sensitivity toward the children."

Several members of the Caring Community project housed at May Greene spoke about their concerns of changing May Greene from an elementary school. The interagency team links the public schools with Division of Family Services, Community Counseling Center and other agencies to help families and children.

Shirley Ramsey of the organization said, "The neighborhood school concept is very good: It keeps parents and children close together."

Marie Walker of the Division of Family Services works with the project from an office at May Greene. "This school is a sense of stability to a lot of people. I don't see the need to disrupt our school," she said.

Mary Ann Walker, a parent and grandparent of May Greene students, said, "I do not want my child or my grandchildren to go to another school."