SCHOOL BOARD OKs CHANGE IN ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE

The Cape Girardeau Board of Education approved changes in top-level administration and in high school senior pictures for the yearbook.

At its Monday meeting, the school board also set a March 7 study session to continue its discussion of building needs for the district.

The board approved the change of top administrators by approving a job description for director of human resources.

Duties will be realigned under the director of human resources and director of instruction. Currently, the district has a director of secondary education, James Englehart, and a director of elementary education, Richard Bollwerk.

Englehart is retiring at the end of the school year. The new administrator to be recruited will be named director of human resources, with Bollwerk taking over the instructional duties.

Board member Pat Ruopp pointed out that while the titles change, the number of administrators stays the same.

"We are not creating a new administrative position," Ruopp said. "The Board of Education and the school district have come under a lot of criticism that we are top heavy with administrators. Personally, I do not feel that is true. But I want that to be really clear, we are not adding an administrative position."

Board president John Campbell said, "Realigning under personnel and instruction makes a lot of sense."

Board member Kathy Swan added that most large employers have at least an administrator and in some cases entire departments to deal with personnel issues. By making this change, she said, school administrators should be freed up "to do what you do best, administer schools."

The board also approved the way high school senior pictures are provided for the yearbook, ending a long-standing dispute between the school and some photographers.

In the past, the school has selected an official photographer for senior portraits. Seniors were required to have a picture made by this photographer to be included in the yearbook. The picture was free to students.

Local photographer Steve Robertson was a vocal opponent to this plan. He lobbied for a decade that seniors be allowed to choose the senior picture appearing in the yearbook.

The new policy allows this choice.

"This effectively removes the school district from the senior picture business," said Englehart.

With the change, seniors will have pictures taken on "school picture day" along with sophomores and juniors. Seniors may choose to substitute a senior portrait taken by another photographer, provided it meets some general specifications.

"We continue to retain the right to refuse any submission not in keeping with the general quality of the yearbook," Englehart said.

The policy change will cost $1,000 in additional expense to the Girardot yearbook. Under the previous contract situation, the contracted photographer provided photography supplies equal to $1,000.

"I think that is a cheap price to pay to get ourselves out of this conflict," Englehart said.

"It seems so simple," said board member Ed Thompson. "Why did it take so long?"

The new policy is effective for the 1994-95 school year.

Two members of the board, Thompson and Ruopp, voted against rehiring the district's administrators. The motion carried 5-2.

Traditionally in February, administrators are offered contract extensions. Thompson and Ruopp questioned the wisdom of extending contracts before evaluations have been completed.

Englehart and Bollwerk explained that administrator evaluations are done in two parts: a checklist of expected duties and a goal-setting practice. The checklist has been completed. The goal-setting and evaluation is ongoing, at least through the end of the school year.

-- The Campster School property on Bloomfield Road has been sold to Jane Cox of Chaffee for $67,750. Money from the sale of this property had been earmarked for renovations at the Central High School Auditorium.

-- A proposal for a second round of retirement incentives is slated for discussion at the March board meeting.