SCHOOL BUILDING PLAN HEADED TO VOTERS

The Cape Girardeau Board of Education is looking toward a spring 1993 vote on building new educational facilities.

"I think it's exciting," said Superintendent Neyland Clark. "We are meeting some of our educational needs and challenges and moving toward modernization. That entails new facilities as a complement to the educational process."

Exactly what new construction will be proposed and how much money will be needed have not been determined, but Clark said preliminary discussions lean toward construction of two buildings and perhaps some additions to existing schools.

"I think the administration and board needs to move swiftly," Clark said. "We need to seek out and select an architectural firm to help us in planning."

Clark said he hopes a special board meeting will be held before the end of the month to name an architect.

"We want to squeeze the most space we can out of the current usable facilities," he said. "At the same time we are planning for new facilities. Right now we are looking at possibly building two facilities and perhaps an addition to Jefferson or the high school. But it's all a little vague right now until we have more input on this.

"We are definitely moving toward a bond issue on this," Clark said. "It won't be this fall, but we will be contacting (Secretary of State) Roy Blunt's office to determine election dates for the spring of '93."

Board member Lyle Davis said: "I want us to get this thing moving as fast as we can. We have projected a five-year plan, but I want to get that finalized."

Board member Gwen Bennett added, "I also want some projections farther down the line than that seven or 10 years."

The school board decided on a spring 1993 vote during the final day of a three-day planning session held this weekend in Cape Girardeau.

On Saturday the board decided new construction is a must for the school system to advance.

The board also decided the district should move toward changing grade configurations to kindergarten through fifth-grade elementary schools, sixth- through eighth-grade middle school, and ninth- through twelfth-grade high school.

The tentative five-year plan also calls for replacement of three old buildings in the district, May Greene, Washington and L.J. Schultz, with new buildings, air conditioning, and modernizing existing facilities.

The board set the guidelines and then asked the educators employed by the school district to bring them a plan.

"We are quite excited and have a high degree of enthusiasm," Clark said. "We are looking forward to bringing a plan to the board to address the real educational needs of our district."

The school board will meet at 4:30 p.m. today at 61 N. Clark for its regular monthly meeting.

The agenda calls for a discussion of the weekend retreat as well as a proposal for student transportation. The busing plan would leave ridership boundaries at one-mile limits and reduce transportation costs by increasing efficiency. The board had changed those limits in March as part of a $1.2 million budget reduction package.