Cape Girardeau School Board: Paul Nenninger

Name: Paul Nenninger

Year of birth: 1949

Place of birth: Cape Girardeau

Spouse, children's names: Marilyn, wife

Occupation: Retired

Employer: None

Businesses owned, all or part: None

Previous offices held or sought: Cape Girardeau School Board

1. Funding the increase to the school foundation formula is a point of debate among state politicians. What should the district do to prepare for a potential shortfall in funding? State law requires that the district budget must be in balance -- there is no deficit spending. Approximately 65 percent of the school district budget comes from local property tax collection. Cape Girardeau School District 63 has a current tax levy of $4.16 per $100 of assessed valuation. The remainder comes from a combination of state and federal funds, much of which is dedicated or governed by state and federal programs or rules. The state budget director has advised that federal funds for Missouri will be cut another $1 billion in 2012. K-12 education makes up about 35 percent of the state budget, according to the state budget director. The budget director has noted that budget cuts will be spread across the entire budget. It appears impossible that the Cape Girardeau district can avoid substantial cuts in the coming years. Districts around the state have been making cuts for most of this year. Even districts, such as Lindbergh (located in St. Louis County), are making multimillion-dollar cuts and cutting staff positions. (92 percent of Lindbergh's funding comes from property taxes.)

The district must engage the staff at all levels to identify anything that will save the district money. Everything needs to be evaluated for value to the district education goals. Those things that are not providing the best value to district student achievement goals should be considered for elimination.

Personnel costs represent the major portion of the district budget. Identify the employee benefits and ask the employees what they can do without. Explain that the amount of money is fixed and that choices are unpalatable but necessary to continue to balance the budget. After this effort, the district then needs to prepare for staff positions that might need to be cut. Once those list of potential cuts is made, the information should be shared with the staff, students, parents and public, explaining the hard choices that may need to be made in order to survive the current state budget shortfall. It should be made abundantly clear that this problem will be with us through 2012 and until state revenue increases. According to state budget director, revenue always lags the economic recovery. Faced with very tough choices, the district in consultation with legal counsel and the board should make the best decision possible regarding separation of employees that is consistent with state law.

2. What are your thoughts on the district's proposal to overhaul its buildings with a $40 million bond issue? I am opposed to the bond issue in its present form. As written, the bond issue is a pork barrel with something for everyone. It is a list of wants and needs. I feel that addressing needs before wants is essential. The district has not been judicious in bringing bond issues to the voters for appropriate use of bonding debt to maintain and upgrade our facilities. Historically, we build, we ignore for years, and now we want money to take care of real needs and throw in a lot of wants for good measure.

Good stewardship demands caring for what the taxpayers have provided us in the past. At present, any increase in our operating budget will result in something else being cut. Our local tax revenue is not expected to increase much, if at all, while we are being guaranteed by the state budget director that more cuts to education funding are coming through 2012.

The district, students and taxpayers would be best served by a bond issue that addresses our needs in increments. Fixing the roofs, upgrading HVAC systems and making energy saving improvements in the buildings will give us a chance to save on operating expenses. Then the district could assess that effort, see if real savings exist and look to additional bond issues to implement another segment of the facilities plan. By trying to solve all the problems at once, the district risks being forced to ask voters to raise the operating part of the tax levy to absorb any new costs created by new buildings, expanded facilities, an auditorium and a stadium. Operating expenses added to a budget that is already facing cost cutting to adjust to the lack of state funds does not make sense to me. If we build it, will we be able to operate it? Overwhelming the operating budget during financial duress is irresponsible.

By establishing a pattern of regular renovation, updating and rebuilding a district demonstrates fiscal responsibility and good stewardship regarding district facilities. Such action will break the boom-and-bust type of funding that has allowed facilities to fall in disrepair. Highly successful school districts across the state have used regular small bond issues to do just that. The current bond issue, if passed, will place us at another peak rather than sustained improvement over a span a time.

Adm. Hyman Rickover has said: "We should try to take advantage of the mistakes of others, because we are not going to live long enough to make them all ourselves." Cape Girardeau School District bond issue history tells us two things: Large all-inclusive bond issues of the early 1990s failed; small, incremental bond issues of the late 1990s and early 2000s passed. Former board members tell me that they feel this happened because the smaller bond issue built trust with the electorate.

3. What in your background or education makes you qualified for this office? I have a bachelor of science from Southeast Missouri State University in secondary education, postgraduate work in law enforcement administration, 26 years as a special agent with the U.S. Secret Service, the last five years as instructor, program manager and supervisor at the James J. Rowley Training Center, Laurel, Md. I participated in creating the facility, division and organization strategic plan. I was responsible for general and specific budget preparation and oversight. I helped conduct a curriculum review to certify the training for college credit. I served as the only civilian board member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Joint War Fighting Center, Fort Monroe, Va., Joint Conflict and Tactical Simulation Configuration Control Board.

I am an active volunteer in the community. I helped build the Red House Interpretive Center, earning L'Ordre du Chapeau Rouge for number of volunteer hours, and served on the Red House Board. I volunteer with the Senior Safety Committee, part of the Community Caring Counsel's Aging Committee. I have served on the CCC's board. I am a member of Seniors and Lawmen Together (SALT). I volunteer at the Family Resource Center providing transportation for youth activities and distribution of food pantry items.

I am completing my three-year term on the school board. I am currently the Missouri School Board Delegate for the district. I have completed the required certified board member training. In addition, I am pursuing an MSBA's Advanced level certification and have accumulated the required 28 hours of additional training and other qualifying elements. My most recent certified board member Training credit from MSBA is titled "Weathering the Financial Storm."