THE PAPER TRIAL: CREDIT CARD USE IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS LEAVES QUESTIONS

Sunday's Southeast Missourian will contain an in-depth look at the Cape Girardeau public schools' use of an American Express corporate account.

Questions have arisen over certain expenditures and Superintendent Neyland Clark's failure to provide detailed receipts.

School district resident Amy Randol sent a letter about specific concerns to school board members Tuesday. It followede six months of research into school expenditures. Her research spurred a week-long investigation by Southeast Missourian writers Peggy Scott and Joni Adams.

Seven stories will appear Sunday:

*A review of three years of credit card charges reveal some unusual charges and inadequate receipts.

*Similar proglems with credit card use occurred while Clark was superintendent in Bullit Co., Kentucky. Other Cape Girardeau events mirror his Kentucky experiences.

*Three personal expenditures by Clark were questioned by Randol and repaid the same day.

*Randol says she has been ignored, yelled at, belittled and badgered in the last six months -- all for asking a lot of questions.

*While some schools have credit cards, most have more stringent regulations for their use. Other school administrators say district credit cards aren't necessary.

*Cape Girardeau's school attorney says credit card bills are adequate receipts. A spokeslman for the state auditor's office and the IRS say it isn't so clear-cut.

*Several school board members have rallied behind Clark. Others feel Randol's allegations should be investigated by the entire board.