REDISTRICTING PANEL NAMED

The Cape Girardeau Board of Education has appointed a committee to redraw the lines that determine which elementary school children attend.

The committee is being asked to develop two proposals, one for each of two phases of the district's newly approved master plan.

During the first phase, a new elementary school is being built along with an addition to Jefferson. May Greene and Washington schools will be closed. Kindergarten through sixth grade will remain in elementary buildings.

An attendance-area plan must be drawn to take into account these changes.

The second phase includes remodeling the junior high to a fifth- and sixth-grade center and the high school to a seventh- and eighth-grade center. A new high school would be built for grades 9 to 12. Grades kindergarten through four will remain at elementary schools.

A second attendance-area plan would be needed when these changes occur.

Superintendent Dan Tallent would like to have both proposals presented to the school board at the February board meeting.

"We would like to make a presentation of these proposals prior to any vote," he said.

The superintendent said the committee is being asked to look at attendance figures and where students live in the city. "We need to make the attendance areas somewhat equitable concerning the number of students," he said.

Serving on the committee are parents Cord Polen from Alma Schrader, Kathleen Wolz from Clippard, Kim Hagler from Franklin, Steve Trautwein from Jefferson, Vergie Jackson from May Greene and Marie Walker. Principals from each of the elementary schools, along with assistant superintendent Richard Bollwerk, also will serve on the committee.