LETTERS: SEMO PRESIDENT BACKS CAPE ISSUE

To the editor:

Next Tuesday the voters of Cape Girardeau will determine whether the public schools can proceed with the second phase of a visionary, comprehensive plan to improve learning environments for all the district's children in grades K-12. In the three years since the first phase of that plan was approved by voters, our district has made remarkable progress. The new Blanchard Elementary School is in operation, and the promised renovations have been completed at Jefferson, Clippard, Alma Schrader and the junior high.

We now have a wonderful opportunity to complete the comprehensive plan by building the capstone facility: a new high school next to the Area Technology and Career Center without increasing the tax burden on property owners.

As a members of the original advisory group that helped the Board of Education develop the financial plan for these improvements, I want to encourage the voters of Cape Girardeau to support the second phase bond issue next week. The no-tax-increase feature of this plan represents an extremely creative and forward-thinking approach to the funding of needed school facilities, and it is one which deserves support by the voters.

The benefits of this second phase of the plan for our children have been explained to the public by Dr. Dan Steska, by members of the Board of Education and by many public-minded citizens who have volunteered to help disseminate information. All that is needed now to give all our children the best possible schools is another expression of support by the voters of Cape Girardeau. We've come a long way in the past three years. Let's complete the job next Tuesday.

KENNETH W. DOBBINS

President

Southeast Missouri State University

Cape Girardeau