WASHINGTON SCHOOL PRINCIPAL ISSUE TO BE RESOLVED

The Cape Girardeau Board of Education will consider six options for administering Washington Elementary School at a special noon meeting today.

The meeting is open to the public and will be held at 61 N. Clark.

Board President Pat Ruopp said the board will likely come to a conclusion at the meeting.

Ruopp said Tuesday, "Any of these options will adequately administer the school."

The six options were developed by district administrators and sent to school board members over the weekend. Elimination of one elementary school principal was among $1.2 million in budget cuts the district has made.

Ruopp said he believes the board may now support an option that calls for Richard Bollwerk, director of elementary education, to serve as principal at Washington School while also continuing with his present duties.

Bollwerk would have an office at the school. Barbara Blanchard, a senior teacher at Washington, has administrative certification. She would serve as principal when district administrative duties took Bollwerk away from the school.

According to a report outlining options, written by Superintendent Neyland Clark, this is the option Bollwerk prefers.

Before being named director of elementary education, Bollwerk was principal at Washington School.

"Bollwerk is familiar with the building and the staff and he currently views the responsibility of taking on an intern or field-experience people as additional work rather than additional assistance," Clark wrote.

Other options are:

Hire an elementary principal using the rationale that the non-replacement of a second assistant principal at the high school provides a savings. Both high school assistant principals have announced plans to retire.

Ruopp said that only one high school assistant principal will likely be hired regardless of which option is chosen.

Have a floating principal between May Greene and Washington elementary school.

Ruopp said this option is not popular with board members nor with the general public.

Place interns or field experienced people in administration into Washington or May Greene schools under the supervision of Bollwerk.

Bollwerk has indicated that supervising interns may generate additional work.

If Bollwerk were transferred from the board office to Washington or May Greene, consideration may be given to transferring James Englehart, director of secondary education, to the high school as an assistant principal. Superintendent Clark would also handle assistant principal duties.

Carolyn Vandeven, principal at L.J. Schultz Middle School, would be transferred to an elementary principal position. Englehart would move to Schultz as principal.

"The board will have to discuss the options and come to a decision," Ruopp said.

The proposal that not all the district's elementary schools would have a full-time principal has generate opposition. The Washington PTA has circulated a petition protesting the cut.

On Monday, the district's PTA council passed a resolution asking the school board to oppose any proposals that prevent the hiring of a full-time principal for every elementary school in the district.

The city's historic preservation commission has passed a resolution against the idea, stating it would reduce property values in the school district.

"I'm going to invite those people involved in the issue and those involved in the protests to attend the meeting," Ruopp said.

The special meeting was called to help alleviate fears of faculty and parents, Ruopp said.

"We have a number of issues at the next school board meeting, the band parents and a number of other people who have requested to address the board," Ruopp said.

"This (principalship) is one we probably need to go ahead and deal with," he said.

Additional personnel questions may also be discussed today, Ruopp said.

As a result of budget cuts, three teachers have been released. Sixteen people took advantage of a retirement incentive program offered by the district.

"A lot of restructuring and a lot of shifting is going on," Ruopp said.

The board may hear a final report concerning where staff members will be working next year.