SCHOOL BOARD HANDLES PERSONNEL MATTERS

The Cape Girardeau Board of Education hired seven people, accepted three resignations, granted a leave of absence and rescinded the retirement of Dr. Lanny Barnes, coordinator of the school district's A+ Schools Program, at a special board meeting Monday at noon.

At the end of the meeting, board member Dr. R. Ferrell Ervin questioned why such routine matters required a special meeting and why the meeting had to be held at noon.

In the future, Ervin said, he would like to avoid calling special meetings. He said he also would like meetings to be held in the evening or at a time when the public can more easily attend.

The school board rescinded an earlier decision to accept the retirement of Barnes, whose retirement it had accepted in April. Board President Bob Fox said, "We asked him to reconsider his retirement and stay in charge of the A+ program."

Barnes said he decided to continue working with the program. This year he has served as coordinator of the program. He was also a long-time principal at Central Junior High School.

Dr. Timothy Niggle, director of human resources, said a controversy has surfaced concerning vacation time for staff members who work 12 months. Board policy says that after 15 years employees receive three weeks vacation, but some employees are receiving three weeks vacation before completing 15 years.

The board voted to maintain the 15-year policy, but put in a one-time provision to add all the months of employment an employee has, including time spent on 10-month contracts, to the total. Niggle said with the change most employees who were getting three weeks will still get a three-week vacation for this summer.

Nancy Godwin, kindergarten teacher at Washington Elementary School, was granted a one-year leave of absence. She is already on a one-year leave and asked for a second one-year leave. The board said this would be the last time she could receive a leave.

The board hired: Judy Westrich, art, Central High; Charles "Chip" Bunner Jr., social studies and wrestling coach, Central High; Sherry Ford, remedial reading, Central Junior High; Linda Tansil, math and science, Central High; Emily Goode, math, Junior High; Becky Hogan, speech pathology, May Greene; Don Porter, science, Junior High.

The board accepted resignations of Paige Sabbatini, early childhood special education at Jefferson; Diane Haggard, learning disability at L.J. Schultz; and Jill Pinkston, kindergarten at Franklin.