IT'S NO ACCIDENT REDISTRICTING IS SO UNPOPULAR

The Cape Girardeau Board of Education approved a boundary shift between Franklin and Blanchard Schools without comment at its recent meeting. The change will allow about 68 Blanchard students to be transferred to Franklin as a way to equalize the two elementary schools.

Despite soliciting widespread input from parents, the board and administration did what they planned to do all along.

At the board meeting, it was Dr. Dan Steska who took the blame for "bringing controversy to the district." His ability to own up to the controversy is certainly admirable. Steska has proven an honest and trustworthy leader for the district.

But it doesn't change the fact this might be much ado about nothing.

We like the fact that affected fourth, fifth and sixth grade students with a younger sibling at Blanchard can remain, but without transportation. But if half of the 68 students are eligible to be grandfathered in, the actual number of students who move may be closer to 40 or 50.

Is it really worth all these hard feelings for this small number of students -- especially considering the fact this whole issue will be moot in just two years?

Taxpayers overwhelmingly approved a second bond issue for the district in April. A new high school will be built, and will spur a shift in the district that includes a fifth and sixth grade center in two years. When you take out two grades at the elementary schools, that should eliminate any future overcrowding issues.

When the bond issue passed, good feelings were running high for parents, staff, board members and administrators. But this recent controversy has left some hard feelings, both by parents affected and others reminded of the redistricting mess just last spring. It has also raised questions about Title 1 funding for schools, since Franklin will now qualify for the funds with more flexibility.

This situation could be particularly vexing for parents in the three blocks of Good Hope that were moved from Franklin to Blanchard just a year ago, and now will be moved back to Franklin. That kind of reversal doesn't speak well for district planning.

Voters are fickle creatures. Whether at the state, federal or local levels, voters tend to obsess on the "what have you done for me today?"

It's no accident that redistricting has been put on the back burner for years. Redistricting is simply a hot button for parents in the Cape Girardeau Public Schools or any district for that matter.

Hopefully both the district's new top administrators and the board has learned a lesson from this recent controversy. Biding time is sometimes preferable to upsetting the applecart. While the "ideal" may be nice, it may not be worth the aggravation when it involves so few students.