TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO DIRECT CAPE SCHOOL DISTRICT

There's an old saying: Speak now or forever hold your peace. That adage could apply to the Cape Girardeau Public Schools' search for input on a possible reconfiguration of the district. The district is hosting a series of three public forums this month.

Now is the time for people to speak their peace on this plan -- not months from now when it's too late to change course. If no one shows up, that indicates that people don't have strong opinions on these changes. The first forum is scheduled Wednesday at May Greene Elementary School. The next will be Nov. 9 at Alma Schrader. The final forum will be held Nov. 15 at Central Junior High School. All three begin at 7 p.m.

The Cape Girardeau district says the reconfiguration is being spurred by three main reasons: They would still like to move toward a middle school concept, and the district must deal with a racial imbalance and overcrowding in some schools.

Board President John Campbell says no decisions have been made and asks the public to give its opinion on possible reconfigurations. Some people have complained the school board doesn't listen to the public -- well here's your chance. We feel the board has acted responsibly in hosting these open forums.

The board is looking at several options for changing grade-level groups to move toward a middle school. These options include:

-- Create a sixth grade center at May Greene Elementary School -- just as all seventh graders now travel to Schultz. Kindergarten through fifth would operate at the same schools.

-- Kindergarten through fifth grade at the elementary schools, two middle schools with grades six through eight (one at Schultz and the other at Central Junior High), and a high school with grades 9-12.

-- Attendance center groupings kindergarten and first grade, second and third grades, fourth and fifth grades, sixth through eighth grades, and 9-12 grades.

-- Kindergarten through fifth grades at elementary schools, a sixth through eight grade middle school, and 9-12 high school. This plan would require construction of a new middle school.

The board is looking for comment on these proposals, or other suggestions from citizens.

These suggestions are "reconfigurations" as opposed to "redistricting" because no plan on the table would redraw all the district's boundaries. But that certainly is another option if all else fails. District officials have sidestepped that since it affects the most number of people.

District officials are worried about the racial imbalance at May Greene School. Its minority population of 64 percent violates Office of Civil Rights regulations. The district must deal with this imbalance. It does not have enough space at the other elementary schools to shut down May Greene and relocate these students. Enrollment caps exist on the lower grades, and many of the schools have space dedicated for various mandated state and federal programs.

Comments could also center on whether the district should pursue a middle school concept at all. The recent middle school discussion began in 1988 when board of education members questioned if sixth grade students could be moved from elementary schools to Schultz to create a two-grade middle school. A 20-member committee of teachers, administrators and parents met weekly to discuss the merit of a middle school.

Five months later, the group said the middle school idea would be good for Cape Girardeau students. But they determined Schultz was too small to handle both grades. The board of education said it couldn't afford to implement the plan, but the idea remained. It's a concept many districts are embracing. The Jackson Public Schools approved a $4.7 million bond issue to construct a new middle school -- for grades six and seven. Construction is under way.

The Cape Girardeau Board of Education wants your input on reconfiguring the school district. If you don't feel comfortable standing up and speaking at the hearings, you can submit written opinions to the school board office or individual members. So far, that invitation has solicited only a handful of letters.

Now is the time to speak. Take the opportunity to provide direction for public schools.