SUMMIT KICKS OFF SCHOOL PLANNING; BUSINESS, EDUCATION LEADERS WILL EXAMINE DISTRICT PRIORITIES

Cape Girardeau's "power brokers" its business and educational leaders met Thursday to discuss the city's public schools.

The educational "summit" launched the Cape Girardeau School District's long-range planning process, which is expected to be completed by June, according to Superintendent Neyland Clark.

"You are the power brokers, influential leaders in the community," Clark told the gathering of 214 people.

The evening included performances by the district's jazz band and choirs from L.J. Schultz Middle School and Charles C. Clippard Elementary School. Also, a slide presentation was shown that featured scenes from the schools.

Clark said that when he interviewed for the job as superintendent of the district, he "made the mistake of criticizing the lack of a long-range plan."

The planning process includes collection of data, creation of a five-year plan, and a subsequent three-year plan to take the district to the end of the century.

Three committees have been formed to help collect community input. The committees will meet through April. In May and June, the school board will draft the five-year plan.

"In the past six months we have become more active," said Clark. "We have gotten closer to you hoping you would get closer to us.

"We need to know the community's expectations for the next five years. We need information based on people's assessment of where we are and where we need to be."

The superintendent explained that the district is in the process of cutting $1.4 million from its budget.

"But we have too good a school district to let that kind of thing force us to slow progress," he added

Clark said those individuals who attended the summit make up a Citizens Advisory Commission on Education. "Your charge is to measure our progress or lack of progress," he said.

"I'm not going to tell you we don't have our fair share of problems, but we will throw them out on the table and deal with them."

The summit was paid for through private donations from MidAmerica Hotels Corporation, Boatmen's Bank and Vision 2000.

Members of the planning committees and the firms they are associated with are listed below. Individuals representing Cape Girardeau public schools serve as designated as ex-officio members of the committees.

Finance: Chairman Harry Rediger, JCPenney Company; Richard Chandler, General Sign Company; Bekki Cook, Oliver, Oliver, Waltz, Cook PC; David Crowe, orthodontist; Paul Ebaugh, retired; Rob Erlbacher, Missouri Dry Dock; David Giles, Cape Girardeau public schools; the Rev. Charles Grant, First Presbyterian Church; Linda Hill, Cape Girardeau public schools; Mike Kohlfeld, Kohlfeld Distributing, Inc.; Gary Rust, Southeast Missourian Newspaper; Jim Limbaugh, Boatmen's Bank; Marsha Limbaugh, A.G. Edwards & Sons; Dan Milligan, Cape Girardeau public schools; Shelby Shell, Cape Girardeau public schools; James Zimmer, KZIM Radio.

Educational Programs: Chairman Sue Balsamo, Southeast Missouri State University; Richard Bollwerk, Cape Girardeau public schools; Ann Bradshaw, Finch, Bradshaw, Strom and Steele; Gordon and Ann Eller, Orthopedic Associates; James Englehart, Cape Girardeau public schools; Martha Freeze, John M. Freeze, D.D.S.; Gary Gilbert, Cape Girardeau Public Schools; David Goncher, Charles Weber Insurance; Cindy Hall, James T. and Cynthia Hall Family Optometrists; Jean Mabrey, Cape Girardeau public schools, retired; Bipi McGinty, McGinty Surgical Group; Judy Rueseler, Cape Girardeau public schools; Joannie Skinner, Blue Hills Corp.; Darla Snider, Cape Girardeau public schools; Carolyn Vandeven, Cape Girardeau public schools; Brenda Woemmel, Cape Girardeau public schools; Gwyn E. Poston, Health Services Corporation of America; Mary Trueblood, Orthopedic Associates.

Facilities: Chairman Robert F. Fox, D.D.S.; Terry Ashby, Procter & Gamble; Lanny Barnes, Cape Girardeau public schools; Sandy Bonner, Southwestern Bell; Mark Cook, Cape Girardeau public schools; Cliff Ford, Ford & Sons Funeral Homes; Bob Hunt, Cape Girardeau Surgical Group; Terry Kitchen, Cape Girardeau public schools; Bob and Donna Komorech, Meridian Schools; Gary Kralemann, Cape Girardeau public schools; Richard McClard, Cape Girardeau public schools; Judy Thorpe, Human Performance Center; Diane Todt, Southeast Fabricating, Inc.; J. Fred Waltz, Oliver, Oliver, Waltz, Cook PC.