VOTE YES -- TWICE -- FOR FUTURE OF CAPE GIRARDEAU SCHOOLS

"I can pay for the ignorance of a man or the education of a man. I will pay for one or the other." -- Walt Whitman.

With your help, Tuesday will be a banner day for public education in Cape Girardeau. A funding package on the ballot would bring vital improvements to the Cape Girardeau School District. It also would trigger a domino effect for business growth to carry the community into the next century.

Voters will vote on two separate tax measures. The first would approve the sale of $14 million in bonds. The other waives a tax rollback related to a previous statewide tax issue. It is imperative that both issues pass, or nothing will be done.

The ballot issues fund two phases of the district's master plan. The first phase calls for construction of an elementary school and vocational school, an addition at Jefferson and renovations at the district's other buildings. Washington and May Greene would be closed. In a second phase, a high school would be built, and L.J. Schultz Middle School would be closed.

Consider the facts:

-- Our children must have a firm grasp of the basics. But that alone will not prepare students for the 21st century. To compete, students must be technology users. Under the new master plan, the district would start computer use in kindergarten.

-- The district's buildings are not equipped to handle today's teaching environment. Almost without exception, classrooms have two electrical outlets. That leaves little room to plug in new technology. Teachers already have to choose between fans and overhead projectors.

-- The newest building, the vocational school, is 30 years old. The oldest school buildings, Washington and L.J. Schultz, are 83 years old. Many of these buildings are plagued with ever-growing maintenance costs.

-- A new vocational-technical school is a key element. The current building is bursting at the seams. The district already leases space in the community to offer programs that employers are requesting. Limited space means the vo-tech school can't offer more of the high-demand programs. Missouri is pushing technical education. That's part of the reason Gov. Mel Carnahan included $3 million for the proposed Cape Girardeau vo-tech building in his budget.

-- While the overall package includes a 69-cent school levy increase, the net increase will only be 34 cents. Because the county is going through reassessment, the school district must roll back its tax levy an estimated 35 cents or more.

This package addresses problems that have been around for many years. The last three Cape Girardeau school issues have failed. The difference this time around is district leadership. Superintendent Dan Tallent, school board members and district staff and parents have gone to great lengths to find out what the community wants of its schools. They surveyed, held town meetings, met with small groups, spoke to civic clubs and developed citizen committees. When the plans were presented, stille more input was sought to see if the proposal was headed in the right direction.

Look around the city. There are major improvements everywhere: retail, parks, streets, subdivisions, medical, private schools and commercial. Sorely lacking is improvement to our public schools. If that continues, Cape Girardeau's future growth will be hurt. This school package represents an investment in our children and our community. Vote yes -- twice -- on the school issues Tuesday.