SCHOOL CUTS PLAN IN PLACE

The Cape Girardeau School District has developed a process to cut $1.4 million from the district's budget, and the Board of Education likely will consider a reduction package in March.

Superintendent Neyland Clark said reduction committee chairmen were selected last week and will begin work immediately to look at ways to save money.

"Like many districts in the state, we are in the process of cutting the budget because of the Proposition B defeat," Clark said.

He said that although the Cape Girardeau district is in better shape financially than other districts in the state, budget cuts must be made this year.

The district is plagued by a more than $1 million budget deficit, and although money in reserve can cover the difference, Clark said, "We cannot continue the way we are.

"The administrative staff has been organized and will begin internal deliberations about budget reductions and program reductions," he added.

The committees and individual chairmen include:

Elementary; Richard Bollwerk, director of elementary education.

Secondary; James Englehart, director of secondary education.

Special education; Betty Chong, director of special services.

Support services; Lisa Elfrink, food services director, and Lanny Barnes, junior high school principal.

Extra curricular; Dan Milligan, high school principal, and Terry Kitchen, athletic director.

New funds; Clark, business manager Larry Dew, Community Teachers Association President Jo Peukert and vice president Mary Hart, and board member John Campbell.

The new funds committee will serve as the final review for the reduction package before it's presented to the board.

Clark said recommendations for budget reductions will be made soon, but with careful consideration.

"The best plan is to get in and do it, and do it right," he said.

Clark said the district is in the process of developing an early retirement option for teachers to help save money.

"Some of our budget cuts could be realized through an early retirement program," he said. "But we couldn't save the entire amount.

"(The early retirement option) is in a very early stage right now," he said. "But what we're looking at is a one-year incentive for early retirement based on years of service."

Clark said other proposals to save money will be weighed according to the total impact to the district.

State and federal guidelines also must be considered. He said the cuts should not affect the Missouri School Improvement Program (school accreditation) or the North Central Evaluation.

And as chairmen look at ways to save money, they have been directed to look at cuts that will least affect class size, student achievement and activity offerings. They also are looking to eliminate duplicated services.

The budget cutting work will coincide with attempts by the district to raise money, Clark said.

"We are very aggressively seeking all avenues for increased revenue," he said.

The district is seeking full payment of taxes and has been in contact with the state's Department of Revenue, he said.

The district also is involved in litigation to challenge the governor's authority to withhold money from school districts. Judge Byron Kinder of Cole County is expected to rule on the case Friday.

If all the state budget cuts announced this year were restored, the Cape Girardeau district would receive about $400,000.

"That means a lot to us when we have embarked on a process to cut our budget," he said.