JACKSON SCHOOLS MIRROR AREA'S GROWTH

For the first time, enrollment in the Jackson School District tops the total for the Cape Girardeau School District. On the official benchmark enrollment day, Jackson's count was 4,349 students, compared to Cape Girardeau's enrollment of 4,227.

The expanding enrollment in the Jackson district reflects a good school system with a growing residential base. Just drive through Jackson. The city is booming with new housing and commercial development.

The Jackson school system has embraced an aggressive brick-and-mortar program. Cape Girardeau is following suit -- with a new elementary school under construction and plans to move ahead with a new vocational-technical school and high school. Many of these changes were long overdue. But the Cape Girardeau district was at the mercy of the voters, who had the foresight to approve a bond issue last year.

Jackson also draws students from a large geographic area. It is one of the largest districts in the state. The district transports students from 283 square miles. Cape Girardeau is much more landlocked. The city is limited in its subdivision development.

That's not to take anything away from Jackson. Without an excellent staff and program, the district would not continue to grow at such as a steady pace. Jackson's enrollment has gone up for a fourth consecutive year. It's an envious position that is not shared by many large districts in the state. In fact, the district is studying the need for still another new elementary school and building improvements at the secondary level.

Jackson and Cape Girardeau have always enjoyed a friendly competition through athletics and academics. The fact the two are so close in size also provides a good measuring stick for comparison. Friendly competition can be a great motivation to set even higher standards.

But the competition is not limited to Cape Girardeau and Jackson. Public schools are losing students to the private sector. Several years ago, there was only one parochial high school in our area. Notre Dame Regional High School has since moved into news facilities, and Eagle Ridge Christian Academy has opened a new school that offers education through the 12th grade. A Lutheran high school is being explored. Home schooling also is growing.

Private schools may be the real competition for both Jackson and Cape Girardeau in the future. Both the state and local taxpayers must continue to support the public schools to make sure facilities, staff and curriculum are the best they can be.