PERRYVILLE SCHOOLS OK LONG-RANGE DISTRICT PLAN

PERRYVILLE -- After six months of planning, the Perry County schools' Board of Education adopted a five-year plan that will guide the district through the year 2002.

School administrators and parents said the long-range plan could have a major effect on the overall quality of the district because the plan includes idealistic dreams as well as realistic aspirations.

"From a superintendent's standpoint, the five-year plan has real idealistic goals we'd love to reach," said superintendent Dr. Rex Miller. "The hired consultant told the committee to dream while they were developing this plan, so some of the goals are not easily-attainable or even very realistic."

About 111 people helped to develop the plan, which was adopted last week, said Miller. It is modeled after the federal Goals 2000 strategy for school districts throughout the nation. He said the plan focuses on many detailed topics, including curriculum, student learning, parent and community involvement, governance and state standards.

The district received a Goals 2000 grant that will cover consultation fees and other costs associated with developing the plan.

"Overall, if we could accomplish this it would make this school district probably the best in the state," he said.

Miller said the district won't be able to fulfill all of the plan's goals without additional funding. There are several goals regarding lowering class sizes and building new facilities that aren't attainable with the district's current level of funding, he said.

"For a couple of these goals, there's no way we'll accomplish them without additional funding, either through a bond issue or a change in the funding formula," he said. Some of the goals in the plan "are very inexpensive and we'll be able to accomplish by better management and making some changes. Others are just not attainable."

Adoption of the long-range plan was only one of the agenda items considered by the board during its regular meeting Wednesday. The board also formally accepted resignations of Board of Education member Carol Laws and athletic director and head girls basketball coach Steve Wunderlich.

Wunderlich, who has worked in the district for about 19 years, is leaving to become high school principal in Oran. Lynn O'Neal, the girls softball coach and golf coach in the district, was named the new athletic director.

Laws is moving to Kansas and will no longer be eligible to serve on the board. Miller said applications are being accepted to fill Laws' position until April elections. Anyone interested in applying for the position should send a letter listing qualifications to the board office. Laws' replacement will be named at the next regular board meeting July 9.