TEACHERS QUESTION BOARD CANDIDATES

Two candidates for the Cape Girardeau Board of Education say the board must regain credibility, another wants a moratorium on redistricting of school boundaries, and a fourth would like to see the superintendent and some school board members replaced.

The candidates expressed those views when asked by teachers at a forum Monday what is needed before the start of school in the fall.

Seeking two board seats to be filled April 4 are Larry Trickey, R. Ferrell Ervin, Terry Taylor and Harold Hager.

Incumbent Ed Thompson withdrew his name from the ballot, and Lyle Davis didn't seek reelection.

Ervin said the board must reach out and build credibility. People believe something is amiss, he said, and even if it isn't, the perception is damaging.

Hager agreed the board must build credibility. "There are a lot of people out there who are disgusted," he said.

Taylor said further discussions about redistricting should be put on hold until a five-year plan is in place. He proposed a contract with Cape Girardeau, borrowing the thought from the Republican Contract With America.

"We could get off to a quick start and show some progress," said Taylor.

Trickey said the priority must be removal of the superintendent and some board members. "Something has to be done immediately," he said.

Asked why they want on the board, Ervin said he would like to see the school district move beyond recent controversies.

Taylor said he has watched the board face turmoil over the past two years and it is time for him to "put up or shut up."

Hager said he has no particular agenda and wants to serve the community.

Trickey said he has an agenda: He would like Superintendent Neyland Clark to resign, and he wants board members who support Clark to do the same.

Trickey was asked why, since he works at Notre Dame High School, he wants to serve on the public school board. He said he promised himself never to "dance around the issues."

Trickey, who formerly worked at Central High School, was a personal friend of former Central High principal Dan Milligan.

Trickey teaches and coaches at Notre Dame High School. "I wouldn't be at Notre Dame if not for Dr. Clark and the way I was dealt with," he told the teachers. He said the "fiasco of graduation" showed him Clark treated other people the same way.

"I call a spade a spade," he said. "We all know exactly what's wrong."

Trickey said if people agree with him, they can vote for him; if not, they can vote for someone else.

The candidates were asked how the district can get a building program started.

Ervin said a long-range strategic plan for the school district is needed first. The need for new school buildings would be included in that plan, he said.

Hager said it is clear something must be done, and the first step should be a change in the board's makeup.

Taylor agreed that five- and 10-year plans are needed. "Right now the school district has zero plan," he said. "Basically they are planning year to year."

Taylor said board members will need a year to prove to the community that they can be good leaders.

Trickey said voters won't back a ballot issue until the school administration changes, and likely won't unless some members of the school board leave.

The candidates were asked their opinion of the administration's performance.

Ervin said he advocates setting criteria and reviewing everyone in the school system from the superintendent to the custodians. He doesn't think that is being done adequately.

Hager said the public has made judgments about the administration's performance, but he hasn't. "I have not participated in an evaluation, so I feel I'm not in a position to pass judgment," he said.

Taylor said Clark has done a lot of good things for the district, but the superintendent has a public-relations nightmare.

Trickey said the superintendent's No. 1 job is public relations. "Dr. Clark fails in that," he said. "If you expect voters to support you, Dr. Clark's got to go."