LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: SCHOOL ISSUE NEEDS REWORKING

To the Editor:Your editorial of 10-7-93 asked us to "lend a positive voice" to the "school improvement" issue. The most "positive" thing that has been voiced is the "negative" vote that defeated the school issue in both April and October. Maybe now the Cape Girardeau establishment will get the message and change their "Beverly Hills-throw-away-society" attitude and get back to basics.The reasons for the city-wide, and my individual, negative vote are many and very complex. Your editorial pointed out some reasons that many voters will cite as their reasons for saying no - and I agree with some of those reasons. However, for me there are deeper concerns in the total picture.(1.) School Board "Crisis" Philosophy. It goes something like this: every few decades they have a grandiose construction program, then they let the buildings deteriorate, then they build new ones, and they deal with each problem as it arises. I ask, instead of this "crisis" approach, where is the long-term construction-maintenance master plan? Why is it always a short-term pie-in-the-sky proposition? Why have the present buildings NOT been maintained, renovated and up-dated through the years? (Look at what the city has done with Lorimier School.) These comments apply to the newer buildings (Clippard, Schrader, etc) as well as the older ones (Washington, May Greene, etc). How can I vote for a tax increase that will continue this senseless approach?(Z.) School Board "Low-Key" Philosophy. Your newspaper identified it as such recently, and it has been this way for the 35 years I have lived in Cape Girardeau. I ask, instead of this "low-key" approach, where is all the exciting, energetic, enthusiastic support that our schools need (as seen in Jackson and other near-by districts)? When a plan is developed, why aren't the details revealed? Most recently what was to become of the "older buildings"? How were the students to be distributed among the existing schools if the 6-7-8 grades ended up in the new "middle-school"? Why all the secrecy about "redistricting"? Why not fully explain the new state funding formula? The $900,000 why would we receive it if the vote passed and not receive it otherwise? Please, give the whole picture. How can I vote for a tax increase for a system that keeps its constituents in the dark? Why was the forum a few days before the October election attended by only 50 or so people, mostly teachers and other school employees? A little publicity would have generated some interest. I didn't know about it until it was after the fact. It's very interesting that during the few days before the school vote, most of the publicity was on the riverboat gambling issue which was still a month away!!3.) School Board Fiscal Policy = "Budget Priorities". These comments are mostly just my perception as I have never seen the actual item-byitem school budget. It appears to me that some budget items are way out of proportion to what they should be. For instance: administration cost is too high ($100,000 for the superintendent - it must be close to that with salary plus benefits and other perks): teacher's salaries are below the average for Missouri schools our size: too little is spent on academic programs and too much on athletics Just like SEMO U.!!), at least that's the impression I get from reports in your newspaper: too little spent on physical plant maintenance and renovation: too much spent on new building construction. If the school board would develop, and publish, a reasonable, appropriately proportioned budget within their present income, I will support it. Otherwise, how can I vote for a tax increase that would continue the present inept fiscal policy?4.) The economy -- and your "dime and nickel" mentality. This is exactly the problem. The economy is not as great as your editorial would suggest. We are being "nickel and dimed" to death with recent and still to come) increases in the gasoline tax, the city sewer tax rate went up on my last bill, city water rates went up with the buy-out from UE, Carnahan got a massive tax increase, Clinton got a massive tax increase with much more to come when he "fixes" health care my employer moved me to a different group coverage and now I have to pay the entire $4,100 annual premium), EPA-ONR rules will cause a massive trash pick-up increase with the closing of the landfills, the cost of your newspaper has gone up I paid for a full year subscription and now you cut it short because of the addition of the Saturday paper), etc, etc, etc. On top of all that, Cape Girardeau is known for its low pay scale rates for those of us below the doctor, lawyer, owner, top management positions. With each program, each cause, each tax getting their "dime and nickel a day" increase, we are being taxed into poverty. I have no control over the increases listed above except to stop buying your newspaper), but I can "just say no" to those ill-conceived measures on which we are given a chance to vote.Your editorial asked for constructive, positive comments on what "might be passable". From my comments in 1-4 above, the school board would win my support in the next election if they would do the following:A.) Peorganize the school budget, directing more appropriate amounts to the various budget items. Then publish the budget so I can see where the present tax dollars go.B.) evelop a comprehensive, long-range master plan with enough detail to prove to me the need for a "middle-school", the renovation of the existing school buildings, the redistricting plan, the improvement oF present programs, the development of new programs -- the whole picture. Then publish the plan so I can see where the future tax dollars will go.I do hope that the school officials will get their act together -- with much more than a little enthusiasm !!!

R.W. PARKINSON

Cape Girardeau