SCHOOL ISSUE HAS 3,000 PLEDGES

With one week to go before Election Day, Cape Girardeau public schools have pledges of yes votes from 3,000 voters.

Campaign organizers are confident that those voters represent others who haven't signed their names to the campaign's rolls.

"We're doing real well," said Melvin Gateley, chairman of the 5500 club. When the campaign kicked off, organizers calculated that 5,500 yes votes would equal a victory at the polls.

Gateley said the important thing is to get voters to the polls April 1.

The school board is asking voters to approve two funding proposals. First is a waiver of the Proposition C rollback. Second is sale of $14 million in bonds.

Money generated from these two proposals would help fund construction of a vocational-technical school, an elementary school, an addition at Jefferson Elementary School and improvements at other school buildings.

Gateley has been keeping track of the yes pledges as they have come in. A schoolhouse in front of the school district offices has been painted in increments of 500. Two more panels will be painted later this week. Gateley hopes that a total of 4,000 pledges can be collected before Tuesday.

"We have a real good, positive feeling and a lot of motivation," Gateley said.

The club was organized with 500 people collecting 11 signatures each. "Some people have been a little slow turning in their numbers," Gateley said. "When I see them, they say,`I want to get a few more before I turn this in.'"

Later this week banners will be posted throughout the city urging yes votes. The PTA Council is sending another mailing this week to registered voters.

"The receptions we got at PTA meetings have been very good," he said. "We feel confident that everything will be fine."

The school district hasn't had a good track record at the polls.

In June 1994, the most recent time the school board asked voters to approve a funding measure, the Proposition C rollback waiver was defeated by 176 votes. The vote was 2,321 yes to 2,497 no. Fewer than 5,000 persons cast a ballot in that election.

In October 1994, voters said no to a 51-cent tax increase. The totals were 3,133 no and 2,790 yes votes. In April 1993, voters rejected a $25 million bond issue with 3,778 yes votes and 4,954 no votes.

Since the June 1994 vote, the district has undergone a number of major changes. It has a new superintendent, several new school board members and a new master plan developed with lots of community input.