TV network gives grant to Franklin Elementary

The Cape Girardeau school board addressed a nearly empty audience for their first meeting of the fall 2007 semester Monday night.

Franklin Elementary School principal Rhonda Dunham told the Cape Girardeau School Board that Franklin has been awarded a $10,000 grant from the History Channel.

According to Dunham, the grant will be used in a history preservation plan centering on the Lorimier Cemetery. Third-grade students will be assisted by Southeast Missouri State University students in the project, which is aimed at teaching students why cemeteries and their histories are important.

In other business:

• The teacher-driven professional development was reviewed and questioned by Charles Bertrand. Bertrand suggested that nine-week assessments would be brought to the board in an effort to maintain progress throughout the year instead of solely through the annual reports. After some debate, board president Steven Trautwein assured Bertrand that these sorts of benchmarks in progress were being closely monitored at the administrative levels of each school. Bertrand withdrew his initial request.
• Participation fees were discussed and all board members agreed that students should not be charged next school year. More information is being gathered for the next meeting so that spring participation fees will not be charged and fall fees may be refunded to the individuals in the future.
• Dr. David Scala requested that members of the board volunteer to head up a committee to oversee the process of naming new facilities and possibly renaming old facilities in the school district. After several suggestions, it was decided that as the need arises the committee would collectively work toward any naming issues.