TOTAL PAYOUT IS AT LEAST $43 MILLION

Cape Girardeau's proposed school bond issue raises questions about middle school concepts, technology-ready schools and the need for retrofitting to withstand earthquakes. But there's little question that tax-wary voters these days are just as interested in the dollars and cents.

If both propositions are passed, the school district will issue $25 million in bonds. Unless the bonds are extended, taxpayers will retire them in 20 years at a total payout of $43.1 million.

The district has said it wants to extend the bonds in 1997 or 1998 to pay for extensive renovations at Central High School.

Larry Dew, business manager of the Cape Girardeau Public Schools, says more than half the tax increase will be paid for by owners of commercial property. Individual property and personal property owners would be accountable for the rest.

The schools' proposed tax increase of 99 cents would boost the property tax on a median-priced Cape Girardeau home by $109.66. That's a $58,300 home, meaning half the houses in the city have a market value of more and half less.

The owner would pay $428 in school taxes annually and a total tax of $558.

City, county health, senior citizen, shelter, mental health, state and road taxes account for the difference between the school tax and the total tax.

The owner of a $25,000 home would pay $47 more in taxes, for a school tax total of $183. That owner's total tax would be $239.

A $41,000 home would cost the owner $77 more in taxes annually for a $301 school tax. The total tax would be $393.

On the high side of the median, passage of both propositions would mean the owner of an $80,800 home would pay $152 more per year for a total school tax of $592. That owner's total tax would be $774.

For a $149,000 home, the proposed tax increase would cost the owner $283 for a total school tax of $1,099. The total tax would be $1,427.

For owners of $250,000 homes, the proposed tax increase would be $470. These owners would pay a total school tax of $1,834 and a total tax of $2,394.

Added to these property tax increases would be personal property taxes which for each taxpayer could range from 15-30 percent of the proposed increase.