SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATES TALK ISSUES

Cape Girardeau Board of Education candidates said they are eager to be involved in the decision regarding where to place elementary school boundaries to accommodate the opening of Barbara Blanchard Elementary School next fall.

All eight candidates said they believe the school board has done the right thing in listening to public concerns regarding where boundaries will be drawn to accommodate the reduction of elementary schools from six to five when May Greene and Washington schools are closed and Blanchard school opens. Incumbents Bob Blank and the Rev. William Bird, whose terms expire this month, said they hoped a decision could be made as soon as possible.

"If not in April, then soon after it," said Bird, who is completing his first term in office and works as pastor of Greater Dimensions Church of God in Christ. "With the things that have to be in place within a few months, we're going to have to come to a decision."

Blank, who is completing his second full term on the board and is president of Bi-State Oil Co, agreed. "We're going to have to reach a consensus on it and go on with the programs," he said. "We're working on it as quickly as we can, but I don't see it as possible to vote in April."

Bird, Blank and six challengers will be considered for three, three-year positions in Tuesday's elections. Also seeking office are Marty Clay, Gary L. McIntyre, Debra Mitchell-Braxton, Sharon Mueller, Andrew Ostrowski and Tina Trickey.

All but Ostrowski are seeking their first public positions. Ostrowski made an unsuccessful bid for the Democratic nomination to the U.S. Senate in August.

Ostrowski and Mueller were unavailable for comment. Ostrowski is pursuing a master's degree in public administration at Southeast Missouri State University and has no children. Mueller is a dental hygienist. Her daughter attends Alma Schrader Elementary School and her son attends Central Junior High.

Clay, assistant registrar at the university, said the school board should work to lessen the impact of redistricting on students, faculty and staff. He said he would like to see the decision put off until May, but feels informed enough to make a decision earlier if he were called to do so.

"Personally, I'm concerned every time I drive by Blanchard Elementary and see the state of its construction," said Clay, whose two children attend Alma Schrader. "It seems to be progressing slower than it needs to be to get it ready for occupation at the end of the summer. We're pushing this down to the wire and it may actually not happen until after the starting gun at the beginning of the next school year."

McIntyre, store manager at Plaza Tire in Cape Girardeau, also said the school board should slow down because Blanchard school won't be ready next fall. While he said he would be able to make a decision in April if given proper information on the subject, McIntyre said the board could take as much as a year to make its decision, he said.

"I don't know why we have to rush into anything," said McIntyre whose son attends Alma Schrader. "I think we've got a whole year to try and solve it because I don't think the contractors are going to get done on time anyway."

Mitchell-Braxton, director for the Project Upward Bound program at the university, said she feels well-informed on the subject of redistricting and believes a decision should be made as soon as possible. Parents need time to prepare their children for any adjustments they will make, and principals need to schedule open houses and other activities to lessen the impact of any changes, she said.

"I think we still have a small window of time, but in the end we're going to have to make a decision," said Mitchell-Braxton, whose son and daughter attend Clippard school. "We need equity across the board in all the schools and programs being delivered to the children so everyone has the chance to grow in and be exposed to new opportunities in the way they choose."

Trickey, a hairdresser at The O'Haira, said the entire process has been painful for everyone in the district. The school board and community need to work together to make a decision that is best for the district, she said. Trickey said she doubted new board members would be able to make an informed decision before May or June.

"This is not the last time we'll be discussing this, so we need to work together here as a community and see if we can't get this issue resolved," said Trickey, who has three adult children. "The people making changes have a brand new school and some of the best teachers in the district, and I feel like that's the best option."