TAYLOR TO QUIT SCHOIOL BOARD; BOARD TO NAME REPLACEMENT

Cape Girardeau Board of Education member Terry Taylor has submitted his resignation from the board effective July 1.

Taylor, 45, serves as vice-president of the school board. He is being relocated by his employer, Jimmy Dean Foods, to Scottsdale, Ariz., and will be unable to complete the last year of a three-year term.

He was first elected to the school board in April 1995 along with the current board president, Dr. Ferrell Ervin.

"I really hate leaving right now because we're in the middle of a new era for Cape schools, and also for the city of Cape Girardeau," Taylor said. "I just had a great opportunity with my company and couldn't pass it up."

Taylor is a graduate of Cape Girardeau Central High School. As a member of the school board he was instrumental in helping the district adopt a strategic plan and encouraged voters to approve the school bond issue, which passed in April.

"That was the main reason I ran for the school board, because we could not get a bond issue passed," he said. "I really feel like we've accomplished a lot. I'm really proud of how the community voted in the last election. I think it was a show of support for the school district and for the board and administrators."

Taylor said now that the bond issue has passed, the next step for the board will be approving plans the architect provides and getting the bid process started later this year. Plans are to get construction under way for the new vocational-technical building later this year, he said.

Superintendent Dr. Dan Tallent said the board will conduct a special meeting at noon Monday to accept Taylor's resignation and will accept application letters until 10 a.m. June 27 from anyone interested in filling Taylor's position on the board. The appointment will be a temporary assignment until the next election in April 1998, he said.

Application letters should give a short explanation for why the individual wants to serve on the board and list their qualifications, Tallent said. The board will review letters during a special meeting at noon on June 27 and announce the selection during the regular meeting on June 30.

Taylor said he will attend the last regular board meeting and could possibly be involved in the selection of his replacement. Overall, he said, he has enjoyed his tenure on the board and looks forward to seeing progress in the district whenever he returns for a visit.

"I'm just going to really miss Cape Girardeau and all of my friends and family here," he said. "But I'll be back to visit about three times a year."