SCHOOL BOARD SETS SESSION FOR PLANNING

After months of list-making and public surveys, the Cape Girardeau Board of Education is ready to act on information gathered by its Vision Planning Committee, but not before another committee meeting.

The school board met Monday night to study results of the committee surveys and decide how to address the issues. The board held a series of meetings in October seeking public input into its strategic planning process.

The board needs to have a complete understanding of the issues, said member Harry Rediger. "We need a road map of where we've been and where we are heading."

The board agreed to hold monthly study sessions to discuss the strategic plan and present information to the community.

Dr. Bob Fox, school board president, said the study sessions should help establish better public relations between the board and the community.

"We want as many people as they can to attend," he said. "It enables us to talk about those things and to know from the survey what is important to the public."

The first public session will focus on financial issues. It will be held April 8 at 6 p.m. in Room 214 of the Vocational Technical School, 301 N. Clark. Other sessions are planned on educational programs and buildings.

Acting superintendent, Dr. Richard Bollwerk, and Principal Dan Tallent were asked Monday to provide the road map by choosing staff and parent volunteers to serve on a planning committee.

The new committee will study the survey results, rank the district's needs and make recommendations to the board. The community survey results asked for a return to basic education, sound financial management, better discipline and higher academic standards for students in the Cape Girardeau School District.

"We all know what, we don't know how," said board member Bob Blank, adding that they aren't sure of which direction to take.

R. Ferrell Ervin, a board member, agreed but suggested that some changes, like administration, have already been made.

"Some parts of the strategic plan are easy to change," Ervin said. "There are others we're probably doing good on but we're not communicating it to the public."

"We're past the prioritizing," Tallent said, adding that the committee will list the necessary changes and provide a timeline for its completion.