School officials, business owner pitch $40 million school bond issue at business event

In a pitch to businesspeople, leaders of the Cape Girardeau School District emphasized cost savings and efficiency as they sought support for a $40 million bond issue.

Dr. Jim Welker, the district's superintendent, and Neil Glass, director of administrative services, pitched the plan at the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce's monthly First Friday Coffee at the Show Me Center. They were joined by Adam Kidd, a businessman who is leading the campaign to pass the bond issue.

Chamber members and guests were given a 16-page booklet outlining the building program and a 13-part question-and-answer sheet. And with an audience of business people, Welker and Glass touched repeatedly on why they think a bond issue makes sense now.

If approved, the bond issue would buy a replacement building for Franklin Elementary School, add 16 classrooms at Central High School and build both a 750-seat auditorium and a 5,000-seat stadium at the high school. The bonds would also pay for major maintenance and repairs as well as upgrading aging heating and lighting systems.

In his presentation, Glass hit the points that could attract votes from business owners. The bond issue won't require a tax increase, he said. Other items he promoted were low interest rates, reduced construction costs as contractors compete in a recession, savings on utilities and ongoing repair costs in the operating budget and 350 to 400 construction jobs.

The Chamber of Commerce board of directors voted to endorse the bond issue in a meeting Tuesday morning, chamber president and CEO John Mehner announced. Mehner added that chamber members should view the plan as a whole.

"Don't vote against this because there is a piece of it you don't like," he said.

In his pitch, Kidd urged the audience to become informed about the bond issue, which he called "a quality-of-life issue."

"We have a long history of supporting quality-of-life issues," he said.

rkeller@semissourian.com

388-3642

Pertinent address:

1333 N. Sprigg St., Cape Girardeau, Mo.