SCHOOLS HOPE FOR ACADEMIC CHANGES, IMPROVED FACILITIES

If local school districts fulfill their New Year's resolutions, 1997 will be characterized by realigned academic curriculums and a variety of construction projects.

School officials in Cape Girardeau, Jackson, Nell Holcomb, Oak Ridge, Scott City and Meadow Heights school districts all said improvements were high on their agendas, both in curriculums and facilities.

Nell Holcomb and Jackson school districts currently have construction projects under way, and Jackson and Scott City schools hope to start new projects in early spring.

Cape Girardeau schools could launch a major construction program this year, but first the district must get one of two $14 million bond issues passed by voters April 1.

"The bond issue would be a major item on our agenda because of the magnitude of the effect it could have on the community and the students we serve," said assistant superintendent Bill Biggerstaff. He said if the issue passes, construction on one phase of the district's three-phase master plan could begin in the fall.

Scott City superintendent Roger Tatum said a committee meeting was scheduled Thursday night to discuss possible construction priorities for that district. The committee will assess the district's needs and develop a recommendation for how to best use $780,000 the district received from a lease-purchase proposal in December, he said.

"One of our main resolutions this year is to expand our facilities," said Tatum.

While facilities improvements are high on the schools' priority lists, state mandates are making academics the No. 1 priority for most officials. Several area schools will be reviewed by the Missouri School Improvement Program during the spring semester. The program is an evaluation school districts undergo every five years to assess improvements that have been made in various areas.

"We have our set of goals we developed last summer, and we'll probably concentrate on those," said Dr. Howard Jones, Jackson schools superintendent. "Our goal in the immediate future is to complete our Missouri School Improvement Program."

Jackson school officials spent the fall semester developing a standardized written curriculum in preparation for their School Improvement Program review, which is scheduled for late January. The written curriculum also coincides with the new curriculum standards recently adopted by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

The Oak Ridge and Meadow Heights school districts are scheduled for School Improvement Program reviews in mid-March and early April, respectively. Biggerstaff said Cape Girardeau officials are trying to refine appropriate academic standards for students. The district is not scheduled for a School Improvement Program review until 1998.

Jones said growth rates in Cape Girardeau County and the surrounding areas will make emphasizing district improvements of all kinds mandatory in the future.

"I think Cape County has been very prosperous this past year, and from what I hear, I don't see why that won't continue," he said. "That means more jobs, more people, and more kids going to school."