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Education news Council talks renewal of hotel/motel, restaurant taxes (05/21/13) The Cape Girardeau City Council on Monday discussed whether to renew hotel/motel and restaurant taxes, as well as the projects these taxes might fund. Council members discussed asking residents to renew the tax, but to be cognizant of how to present the proposal. Council members agreed a specific plan for the use of the money is necessary, especially with revenue coming from Isle Casino Cape Girardeau... Cape school board approves lunch price increase (05/21/13) In their first meeting after the 2012-2013 school year, the Cape Girardeau School Board met Monday night to discuss a light agenda that included breakfast and lunch prices for the 2013-2014 school year. "Our breakfast program is served daily at no charge in all district buildings," said Lisa Elfrink, nutrition coordinator for the district. "Breakfast allows for a great start to the day, particularly during times of testing."... New Franklin Elementary sees last day of first year (05/19/13) The excitement on the faces of children at Franklin Elementary School on Friday was evident in the time leading up to noon dismissal. It was the last day of school or, more correctly, the first last day of school at the new Franklin Elementary School building... Jackson commencement moved to Show Me Center (05/16/13) Tonight's commencement ceremony for more than 350 Jackson High School students has been moved to the Show Me Center. The ceremony was originally scheduled to take place at school's football stadium. But with the forecast calling for rain, school officials made the decision Thursday morning to move the ceremony indoors... Appeals court rules in favor of Fruitland quarry (05/17/13) A Fruitland quarry that sits next to a private high school was given back its mining permit by a three-judge panel in the Missouri Eastern District Court of Appeals in St. Louis on Tuesday. It has not been decided if Saxony Lutheran High School will continue to pursue the case to stop mining operations. Strack Excavating LLC and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources Land Reclamation Commission appealed a September decision by Judge William L. ... Cape Girardeau student headed to Scripps National Spelling Bee (05/16/13) Spelling has always come easy for Jade Ray Samanta, a seventh-grade student in Christine Briete's class at Trinity Lutheran School in Cape Girardeau. Samanta won the Southeast Missouri Regional Spelling Bee on March 9, which was at Three Rivers College in Poplar Bluff, Mo... Broken bus window prompts school lockdown (05/16/13) WOLF LAKE, Ill. -- A broken window led to a two-hour lockdown Wednesday morning in the Shawnee Community Unit School District. Superintendent Shelly Clover-Hill said a bus taking students to Shawnee Elementary North in Grand Tower, Ill., was traveling on Illinois State Highway 3 between 8:15 and 8:20 a.m. Wednesday when something hit a window... Clothing exchange at Central High School experiences low turnout (05/15/13) Sometimes having the best intentions doesn't mean a project will be successful. Carlynn Forst, art teacher at Cape Girardeau Central High School, learned that lesson Tuesday when her clothing-exchange initiative at the high school suffered because of a lack of participation. ... Model evaluation system for Mo. educators approved by state board (05/15/13) The State Board of Education gave final approval Tuesday to a model evaluation system for educators in Missouri. School districts can adopt the model system or implement a system of their own that aligns with seven Essential Principles of Effective Evaluation set by the state. The principles focus on the educational practices and professional development of teachers, principals and superintendents... Bus driver pulled over during field trip, no crime found (05/15/13) A school bus driver taking students on a field trip last week was pulled over on suspicion of driving while intoxicated, but he had not been drinking, a Cape Girardeau school administrator said. The driver complied with field sobriety tests and "came up clean," said Neil Glass, director of administrative services for the Cape Girardeau School District.... Common Core opponents form group to educate public (05/14/13) A new group in opposition to the Common Core State Standards in education was formed Monday night at the Jackson Public Library. The group, the Heartland Citizens for Education Awareness, has educating the public about what it sees as problems with Common Core as its stated goal... Flipped classroom transforms traditional teaching (05/13/13) ST. ANN, Mo. -- In teacher Rob Lamb's chemistry class, students are embracing a new classroom concept being used this school year in a few classes at Pattonville High School. Called a flipped classroom, students review a short lecture video at home and do what's considered homework or labwork in class, enabling them to take a more in-depth look at a subject or get more teacher help, the Suburban Journals of Greater St. Louis reported... Future heads of family farms dig into financials (05/13/13) COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Jake Anderson didn't have to delve too deep into the University of Missouri's agricultural economics program before realizing he was destined to return to the 1,500-acre family farm. After all, that's been the Anderson family trade since 1891, when his great-great grandfather came to Callaway County from Sweden... Swan stands behind support of school administrators evaluation bill (05/13/13) Despite the bill's defeat by a sharply divided Missouri House of Representatives, and a divided Republican party within it, Cape Girardeau's freshman Rep. Kathy Swan stands by her support of a bill that would have created evaluations for school administrators... Mo. House shoots down evaluations for principals (05/10/13) JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The Missouri House rejected tougher evaluation standards for school principals and administrators early Thursday morning despite it being one of the top education priorities of the Republican House speaker. The 82-76 defeat marks the second time the Republican-controlled House has rebuked Speaker Tim Jones, R-Eureka, and his efforts to evaluate education officials based largely on student achievement... Central High School to host clothing exchange (05/09/13) A free "clothing exchange" for children will be from 3 to 6 p.m. Tuesday in the commons area of Cape Girardeau Central High School. According to Carlynn Forst, art teacher at Central and organizer of the event, the clothing exchange is a way of re-using old clothes while benefiting local schools and charities. ... 5 Jackson teachers recognized for excellence at banquet (05/10/13) It was a time to recognize teacher excellence Thursday evening during the 2013 Educator Appreciation Banquet in Jackson. The banquet, held at the Knights of Columbus Hall and sponsored by the Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce, saw Cindy Rodgers, Steve Wachter, Casey Brennan, Paul Fliege and Renee Deken be named as the 2013 Educators of the Year.... Group aims to demystify college for at-risk youth (05/06/13) KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Corrie Mills doesn't usually run through the halls of Central High School waving a piece of paper over her head. But this wasn't a usual day. "I got a scholarship" she blurted, out of breath, to her college adviser. It didn't matter that the letter was from a university the 19-year-old senior isn't planning to attend. Just knowing that a college wanted to help pay her way was reason enough for elation, and for a race to the Missouri College Advising Corps office... Different types of computers looked at for Cape students (05/05/13) A group of students from the Cape Girardeau Central senior and junior high schools attended a meeting Thursday to provide input on what type of personal computer the Cape Girardeau School District should be purchasing. Madeline Poole, a sophomore at Central High School, said she was concerned about a computer's power supply... Mo. Senate sends school gun bill back to House (05/02/13) JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- The Missouri Senate has passed a bill that would allow designated school personnel to carry concealed weapons in school buildings. The Senate voted 26-6 Thursday to pass the measure. It now heads back to the House for further consideration... Common Core standards discussed and questioned (05/03/13) In response to questions and requests for more information about the Common Core State Standards in education, about 125 people, including parents, school administrators and state education officials, were in attendance Thursday night at a public meeting at the Career and Technology Center... Deputies catch fugitive who prompted Jackson lockdown (05/02/13) Cape Girardeau County sheriff's deputies have arrested a fugitive who prompted a brief lockdown Tuesday at several Jackson schools. Sheriff's department Lt. David James said officers had a warrant to arrest a theft suspect who also was accused of violating his probation. The suspect tried to ... A+ Schools program expands (05/01/13) Money is a big motivator for teenagers, according to a Scott City High School teacher. "Money talks. Kids understand money," said history teacher Seth Ward, who uses the prospect of free college tuition to encourage his students to excel. Thanks to a recent expansion of the A+ Schools program, students at 99 percent of Missouri's public high schools have the opportunity to earn two years' worth of tuition to any public community college in the state, Gov. Jay Nixon told students Tuesday during an assembly at Scott City High School, which was among 118 recent additions to the program. ... New teacher evaluation guidelines coming (04/30/13) Changes in the way future teachers are certified and how current teachers are evaluated are coming soon to Missouri. Assessments being phased in during the next two years will affect students seeking teacher certification, and teachers will be scrutinized under new evaluation principles beginning in the 2013-2014 school year, according to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education... Teacher evaluation bill OK'd by Mo. House (04/30/13) JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A measure that would impose stricter evaluations for Missouri teachers based on student achievement advanced from a legislative panel Monday, days after the House speaker removed two of his Republican colleagues for blocking the bill... Jackson schools briefly locked down (05/01/13) Some Jackson schools were locked down briefly Tuesday afternoon. Wade Bartels, chief financial officer and security coordinator for Jackson R-2 School District, said a few schools on the west side of town were locked down at the behest of police officers, who called back a short time later to give the district the all-clear.... Council seeks to fund artist in residency (04/25/13) The Arts Council of Southeast Missouri is seeking donors to help fund the artist-residency program at the Alternative Education Center in Cape Girardeau. The Arts Council was given a matching grant by the National Endowment for the Arts for the program and needs to raise a matching $2,500 by May 3 to receive the funds... Students get taste of city government (04/25/13) Students received a hands-on lesson in city government Wednesday during the 28th annual Optimist Youth In Government Day. Among the participants were juniors from Cape Girardeau Central High School, Notre Dame Regional High School and Eagle Ridge Christian School. The tevent encourages students to become active and informed citizens in their communities. Steve Schaffner will retire after 22 years of conducting the Central junior, senior high school orchestras (04/23/13) As does any teacher, Steve Schaffner has highs and lows as orchestra director for Cape Girardeau Central junior and senior high schools. Now that Schaffner is retiring after 22 years, he said he'll miss his students more than anything. "I'll miss the kids terribly," he said. "They keep you young."... Rankings show concern for well-being of children (04/22/13) Cape Girardeau County improved in five indicators of child well-being but declined in another five areas, according to the 2012 Missouri Kids Count report, released this month by the Partnership for Children. The county fell from 38th to 39th in the Kids Count rankings of all 114 Missouri counties and the city of St. Louis. Scott County ranked 80th compared to 81st in 2011, and Perry County received a ranking of 18th above its 2011 showing of 28th... Public invited to explore Common Core (04/22/13) In response to questions and requests for more information about the Common Core State Standards in education, a public meeting has been scheduled for May 2 at the Career and Technology Center in Cape Girardeau. Sponsored by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, the meeting will allow parents and anyone with concerns about Common Core to be heard and have their questions answered... Preparation plus motivation are keys in MAP tests (04/17/13) When third- and fourth- grade pupils ran down the halls and crashed through paper banners at Alma Schrader Elementary School on Monday, they weren't breaking any school rules or being unruly. They were enjoying a pep assembly in their honor -- one including appearances by members of the Southeast Missouri State University Redhawks football team, Rowdy the RedHawk and even a video of faculty members doing the "Harlem Shake."... Personal best likely a blessing for Cape Central's Schaffner (04/17/13) Local runner Steve Schaffner's most recent marathon was his fastest. His speed may have saved his life. Schaffner, orchestra director for Cape Girardeau Central junior and senior high schools, posted a personal record Monday in the Boston Marathon, finishing the 26.2-mile race in three hours, 27 minutes and 48 seconds... Meetings planned in Cape Girardeau, around state on new education standards (04/17/13) JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri officials are planning a series of public hearings on the state's new education standards. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education said Monday that simultaneous hearings will be held May 2 at eight locations throughout Missouri... Holocaust survivor tells story of Nazi occupation in France (04/14/13) Before Cape Girardeau Central High School's drama club Red Dagger's Saturday night performance of "The Diary of Anne Frank" -- the story of a Jewish girl and her family while they hid from authorities during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands during World War II -- a guest spoke about her experiences of being a young Jewish girl in Nazi-occupied France... Professor teaches students traditional African music (04/12/13) Concentration on the faces of students was evident as they practiced African chants while hitting hollowed gourds with their hands. They were doing an admirable job of keeping time with their instructor, but eventually someone hit a gourd out of time with the rest... Notre Dame, Saxony Lutheran make final preparations for spring musicals (04/11/13) Students of Notre Dame Regional High School will show their acting and footwork skills in the musical "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers," while a neighboring school, Saxony Lutheran High School, is preparing for its most elaborate musical yet, "The Wizard of Oz."... Mo. Senate panel agrees to school funding increase (04/10/13) JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri schools appear likely to receive a 2 percent funding increase next year as a result of a decision Tuesday by a Senate budget panel. The Senate Appropriations Committee agreed to provide a $66 million increase sought by Gov. Jay Nixon to the $3 billion core budget for public elementary and secondary schools. The House had previously approved a $65 million increase... Holocaust survivor to speak Saturday at Central (04/09/13) Holocaust survivor Rachel Miller will deliver a speech at 6 p.m. Saturday at Cape Girardeau Central High School, 1000 S. Silver Springs Road. Miller of St. Louis will give a child's perspective of the historic period. Her presentation will precede Central's production of "The Diary of Anne Frank."... Student group working for gay, lesbian acceptance (04/08/13) Polls show more people are accepting of same-sex couples, and people at the higher education and K-12 level in Cape Girardeau say acceptance is growing among students for those of all sexual orientations. A new poll released Thursday by the Quinnipiac [Conn.] University Polling Institute puts nationwide support for same-sex marriage at 50 percent, the first time that support has reached the 50 percent mark in Quinnipiac polling. ... Local elementary school hops on board with ALICE (04/05/13) "An intruder has entered the building," a voice announced via the school's intercom system. The voice belonged to Ruth Ann Orr, principal of Alma Schrader Elementary School. Her announcement Thursday morning marked the beginning of the school's Intruder Alert drill... Saturday event encourages kids to get 'Messy' (04/04/13) Getting messy not only will be allowed, it will be encouraged Saturday at the Show Me Center. Thousands of children and adults are expected to attend Messy Morning, an event designed to strengthen families by helping parents see the importance of allowing their children to learn while having fun, according to event committee chairwoman Resa Armstrong. ... Project Talent searching for '60s Oak Ridge High students (04/05/13) Fifty-three years after the Project Talent study was first administered, researchers with the American Institutes for Research are seeking the classes of 1960 to 1963 from Oak Ridge High School to discover what became of their lives.... Challengers win in Jackson, Cape Girardeau school board races (04/03/13) Editor's note: The following story has been edited to correct the name of Lisa Schaefer. A push from parents who wanted to become more involved ended a 15-year tenure for one Jackson School Board member Tuesday while another incumbent managed to hold on to his seat... Kelly bond issue passes; fire district tax shot down (04/03/13) Voters in the Kelly school district passed a bond issue Tuesday 225-114 to allow the construction of classrooms and high school kitchen facilities. Another taxing issue in Scott County, a fire district tax, was turned down 151-91. Voters rejected a countywide use tax 1,852-1,141... Mo. lawmakers review school district debt limit (04/01/13) JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Some growing Missouri schools and small districts lacking high-dollar property are facing challenges to fund needed construction projects because of a state cap on their debt. Districts approaching the limit have turned to alternatives such as tackling major projects in phases, but those approaches can drive up the ultimate cost. Now, Missouri lawmakers are considering a measure that would allow school districts to ask voters for permission to exceed the cap... Local high schools rewarded for efforts to raise seat-belt use (03/28/13) Notre Dame Regional and Saxony Lutheran high schools were among Southeast Missouri high schools honored by the Missouri Department of Transportation for efforts in the Battle of the Belt Challenge. Notre Dame won the Southeast District's award for Highest Overall Seat Belt Use, achieving 99.76 percent seat-belt use, according to a MoDOT news release. ... Jackson School Board candidate forum canceled (03/26/13) A forum for Jackson School Board candidates slated for Thursday has been canceled. The Cape County Tea Party organized the event, which was set for 7 p.m. at the University of Missouri Extension Center in Jackson. The group issued a news release Monday saying unspecified issues and scheduling conflicts caused the cancellation. Three of the five candidates for the school board planned to participate, according to the group... West Plains school district arms employees (03/26/13) WEST PLAINS, Mo. -- A rural school district in the south-central Missouri town of West Plains now allows some employees to carry concealed weapons in its school. The West Plains Daily Quill reported the Fairview R-XI District board recently voted to pay for firearms training for an unspecified number of employees. The district is withholding the names of those allowed to bring guns into its school... No students hurt in Stoddard County bus wreck (03/22/13) DEXTER, Mo. -- Sixteen students were aboard a Dexter school bus that failed to yield and struck a passenger car at Route H and County Road 659 just after 7 a.m. Thursday. No one was seriously hurt in the wreck. According to Missouri State Highway Patrol spokesman Clark Parrott, the bus driver, 56-year-old Jayne James of Dexter, was not immediately charged with any wrongdoing, but an investigation continues into the accident. ... Cape Girardeau school set to accept high school seniors in nursing program (03/20/13) With the expansion of its nursing curriculum, the Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center will become the first school in Missouri to offer high school seniors early access to its practical nursing program. "This is a wonderful opportunity for high school seniors to get started in the nursing field," said Rich Payne, director of the Career and Technology Center. ... School board reaffirms commitment to Common Core standards (03/19/13) The Cape Girardeau School District's adherence to the Common Core State Standards was reaffirmed Monday during a special work session of the school board. "I stand by Common Core," said Dr. Sherry Copeland, assistant superintendent. "I think it's critical to the success of students in the school district."... Cape Girardeau student headed to national spelling bee (03/14/13) POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Jade Ray Samanta, a 7th grader at Trinity Lutheran School in Cape Girardeau, won the 4th annual Regional Spelling Bee on Thursday at Three Rivers College in Poplar Bluff, Mo.... Three Cape School Board candidates tout experience (03/14/13) The breadth of experience three candidates could bring to the table as members of the Cape Girardeau School Board isn't in doubt as the April 2 election approaches -- but only two seats are up for grabs. One candidate will be the odd man out. Jeff Glenn, a public relations consultant, Phil Moore, a banker and current member of the school board, and Adrian Toole, a retired chief financial officer of a local company, are vying for three-year terms on the seven-member board... Scott County school board changes dance policy (03/12/13) A policy that did not allow same-sex dates at the prom and other student dances was removed from the student handbook by the Scott County Central School Board on Monday. The change comes after efforts made by Stacy Dawson, an openly gay senior at Scott County Central High School, to be allowed to bring his same-sex date to the prom in April... Former teacher gets probation on sex charge (03/12/13) A former Southeast Missouri junior high school teacher who pleaded guilty last month to sending explicit photos of himself to a student was sentenced to probation Monday. The sentence also calls for him to attend outpatient counseling and to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life... Science fair a big draw (03/08/13) There were 321 projects on display Tuesday for the 57th Southeast Missouri Regional Science Fair at the Show Me Center. The annual event -- this year was the largest yet -- is always impressive as area students showcase their work. There were 438 students, split among the junior and senior divisions, representing 33 schools. ... 57th annual science fair draws record number of entries (03/06/13) With 438 students from 33 schools submitting 321 projects, organizers of the 57th Southeast Missouri Regional Science Fair said the Tuesday event at the Show Me Center was the biggest in the fair's history. "We always have good experiments," director Chris McGowan said. "There are students doing things that haven't been done before."... Science fair winners (03/06/13) Top Senior Division winners:Corvin Schoen of Oak Ridge High School and Sierra Woods of Puxico R-8 Schools will travel to Phoenix to compete in the 64th International Science Fair in May. Ethan Seyer of Oak Ridge High School is an alternate... Student at center of same-sex prom date policy change says he wanted to help people (03/04/13) When most students think about going to prom, their thoughts may turn to getting the right tuxedo or dress and deciding who they want to go with. But when Stacy Dawson, an openly gay senior at Scott County Central High School near Sikeston, Mo., told a school administrator in September who he wanted to take to the prom, he set off a controversy at a school better known for its basketball prowess than being a site for social change... Speaker warns Republican group of federal education overreach (03/03/13) Missouri's public schools are losing control of their educational curriculums, according to a representative of a group opposed to federal standards in education. "Who is deciding curriculums and assessment testing in Missouri schools?" Gretchen Logue of the Missouri Coalition Against Common Core asked members of the Cape Girardeau County Republican Women's Club during a Friday luncheon. ... Report-card legislation endorsed (03/01/13) JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri schools would start receiving letter grades based upon how well they perform on state standards under legislation approved Thursday in the House. The measure calls for education officials to produce a simplified report card for public schools and for charter schools that have classes beyond second grade. ... Mo. House endorses school prevailing wage opt-out (02/28/13) JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The Republican-led Missouri House gave first-round approval Wednesday to a bill that would allow school districts to opt out of paying the state's wage requirement for public construction projects. The measure would let districts in rural counties forgo the wage requirement for any new construction projects or school maintenance. The "prevailing wage" is calculated annually from voluntary wage surveys by Missouri companies submitted to the state's labor department... Simulator shows students the dangers of texting while driving (02/28/13) Southeast Missouri State junior Rachel Embree helps Jackson High School Sky Smith, 18, as he uses a simulator to see how well he can text and drive using a simulator Monday, Feb. 25, at Jackson High School. ATT sponsored the event at the school as part of their campaign to reduce texting and driving. ... Oran kindergarten screening, enrollment set for March (02/27/13) ORAN, Mo. -- Enrollment and screening for students entering kindergarten for the 2013-2014 school year will be from 8:30 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. March 25 and 26. To schedule an appointment with the Oran Elementary School office, call 573-262-3435. Students must be 5-years-old by Aug. 1 to be eligible. Parents must bring their child's updated shot records, birth certificate and Social Security card... School districts ramp up security (02/27/13) In the weeks since December's tragic shooting rampage at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., enhanced security procedures have been the focus of school districts nationwide. Local school districts have taken steps to keep up with what has become an unfortunate sign of the times... Cape school board approves some changes to dress code; does not eliminate jeans (02/26/13) During a meeting marked by debate that at times raised more questions than it answered, members of the Cape Girardeau School Board on Monday night decided that revising some of school district's dress code was better than not revising anything at all... Operation Teen Safe Driving Week (02/25/13) Tamms- Egyptian High School was honored to host an Operation Teen Safe Driving (OTSD) program. This initiative is designed to help educate teens about the importance of safe and responsible driving. The event is sponsored by Ford Driving Motor Skills for Life, Allstate, I.D.O.T., and of course, OTSD... School board to mull dress code (02/24/13) About a year after it last revised the student dress code in district public schools, the Cape Girardeau School Board will decide at its Monday meeting whether to make additional changes, focusing on issues pertaining to jeans, shorts, shirts, coats and jackets... Rain, sleet and a little snow mostly a nuisance (02/22/13) Widespread freezing rain, sleet and some snow in Southeast Missouri slowed travel, closed schools and government offices and caused some damage to trees and power lines during a winter storm that moved slowly through the region Thursday. ... Mo. House panel mulls evolution teaching bill (02/22/13) JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Public schools would be required to teach the strengths and weaknesses of the scientific theory of evolution under a bill being considered by a Missouri House committee. The House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee heard testimony Wednesday on a measure that would require state officials to develop guidelines for teaching evolution in public schools... 'A dream come true': Central orchestra to give first concert in new auditorium Tuesday (02/21/13) Cape Girardeau Central High School orchestras are warming up for their first concert in the multimillion dollar Richard D. Kinder Performance Hall. The freshman and high school orchestras will perform their annual Winter Music Concert in the Broadway-style theater, complete with orchestra pits and state-of-the art lighting and acoustical systems... Mo. district revises prom policy on same-sex dates (02/17/13) ST. LOUIS -- A Scott County school district has rescinded a policy that prohibited same-sex couples from attending prom, a day after a national anti-discrimination group threatened to sue. On Friday, Scott County Central School District superintendent Alvin McFerren said the school board agreed to revise a district handbook policy that had been interpreted to prohibit same-sex dates. ... Legal action threatened over school prom policy (02/15/13) ST. LOUIS -- The Scott County Central School District is facing a threat of legal action over a policy barring same-sex couples from attending prom together. The Southern Poverty Law Center on Thursday accused the district near Sikeston, Mo., of discrimination and gave the district until Feb. 25 to revise the school-dance policy or face a potential lawsuit. District superintendent Alvin McFerren declined to comment... Jackson School District saving money on refinancing of bonds (02/13/13) Refinancing of bonds to build an elementary school in Jackson is saving the school district more than anticipated. After voters approved the bond issue last year, officials chose to divide the $16 million bond issue into two transactions worth $9 million and $7 million... Nell Holcomb kindergarten student enrollment, screening next month (02/13/13) Enrollment and screening for Nell Holcomb students entering kindergarten for the 2013-2014 school year will be March 14. Children must be 5 years old before Aug. 1 to be eligible. Current immunization record, official birth certificate, Social Security card and proof of residency must be presented... Teacher pleads guilty to sexual misconduct with student (02/12/13) A junior high schoolteacher who was facing more than 100 years in prison on charges he sent a 14-year-old student explicit photos of himself last year may be sentenced to probation next month as part of a deal for his guilty plea Monday. Still, Andrew J. Delles, 29, of Jackson likely will see his name erased from the list of those allowed to teach in Missouri, and instead be placed on another list that will publicly label him a sex offender for the rest of his life... Younger workers, African-Americans bearing the brunt of unemployment (02/06/13) A study released Monday reported unemployment among people ages 18 to 29 at more than twice the national average. Local job resources are trying to find ways to train young people and connect them with skilled employment opportunities so they don't become another gloomy statistic... Mo. Senate backs quick takeover of failed schools (02/06/13) JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The Missouri Senate has endorsed a measure that could speed up state intervention in failing school districts. The bill given initial approval Tuesday night is aimed mainly at the Kansas City School District, which lost its accreditation in January 2012... Bill would allow schools to be exempt from prevailing wage (02/05/13) A bill that would allow school districts within most Missouri counties to exempt themselves from the state's prevailing-wage law is viewed by some as a common-sense measure, but others think it's a first step toward undermining the law entirely. The state's prevailing-wage law establishes a minimum rate that must be paid to workers on projects constructed by or on behalf of state and local public bodies. ... Meeting for Kelly School District kindergarten parents set for March 7 (02/05/13) A meeting for parents of students entering kindergarten in the Kelly School District is scheduled at 6:30 p.m. March 7 at the elementary school gym. Students must attend. The meeting will consist of a bus ride and school tour, and parents will be given an explanation of kindergarten expectations and a school-supply list. Parents will have the opportunity to schedule a screening appointment for March 19 or 20... Appeal in Strack, Saxony dispute to be heard Thursday (02/05/13) Another chapter in the ongoing dispute between a Fruitland limestone quarry and a neighboring high school will be written Thursday in the Missouri Eastern District Court of Appeals in St. Louis. Strack Excavating LLC and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources Land Reclamation Commission (LRC) are appealing a September decision by Judge William L. ... United We Read aims to get Cape on same page (02/04/13) The 2013 edition of United We Read, a program urging people to read the same book during February, began Friday at Cape Girardeau Central High School. "We're looking forward to getting students and also people in the community reading the book we've chosen," said Sara Kiplinger, librarian at the high school and program coordinator... Missouri teacher targets absenteeism in new class (02/04/13) ST. JOSEPH, Mo. -- When Matt Tabor walks the halls of Benton High School, he could pass for a student. He's not much taller than a freshman. Kids pull him aside and joke with him like he's their BFF. And he smiles a lot. "He's a great guy, strict but fair," said Colton Brown, one of Tabor's charges... High school students compete using business models (02/03/13) More than 70 juniors and seniors from 10 area high schools competed Friday in Cape Girardeau to see whose business model could bring in the biggest profit. The students were part of the 20th annual Camp Enterprise at the Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center organized by the Rotary Club. The goal of the camp was to introduce students to real-world business issues through a computer simulation.... University foundation receives endowment for entrepreneurial programs (02/01/13) The Southeast Missouri University Foundation has a new endowment for entrepreneurial programs, according to a release sent by the university. The Leonard R. Ruzicka Sr. Program in Entrepreneurial Excellence was established through an endowment from Ruzicka's wife, Ludeane "Lu" Ruzicka of Savannah, Ga. ... Oak Ridge School sets kindergarten events (01/31/13) Kindergarten screening and enrollment and also screening for preschoolers ages 3 and 4 is scheduled for March 21 in the multipurpose building at the Oak Ridge School. Those children eligible for kindergarten must present at the time of enrollment their immunization record, official birth certificate, Social Security card and proof of residency. Parents must also attend with their child to fill out necessary paperwork... Agribusiness Academy applications due Friday (01/29/13) High school sophomores interested in exploring agriculture-related college degrees and careers can apply for the Missouri Department of Agriculture's Agribusiness Academy through Friday. Selected participants will spend a week in June in the Springfield, Mo., area, visiting with industry leaders and agribusinesses specializing in animal health, communication, sales and financial management. Students also will spend time on the Missouri State University campus... Fundraisers for Jackson, Cape schools set for Feb. 9 (01/29/13) A pair of fundraising events to benefit education projects in the Cape Girardeau and Jackson school districts are planned for Feb. 9 in Cape Girardeau. The seventh annual Penguin Party Dinner and Auction, presented by the Cape Girardeau Public School Foundation, will be from 6 to 11 p.m. at the Cape Girardeau Country Club. The Jackson R-2 School District Foundation's fourth annual Red and Black Affair will be from 6:30 p.m. to midnight at the Arena Building... U.S.: Sports are a civil right for disabled (01/25/13) WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Education Department is telling schools they must include students with disabilities in sports programs or provide equal alternative options. The directive, reminiscent of the Title IX expansion of athletic opportunities for women, could bring sweeping changes to school budgets and locker rooms... U.S. high school graduation rate best since 1976 (01/23/13) WASHINGTON -- The nation's high school graduation rate is the highest since 1976, but more than a fifth of students still are failing to receive their diploma in four years, the Education Department said in a study released Tuesday. Officials said the steady rise of students completing high school is a reflection of the struggling economy and a greater competition for new jobs... Student-driven site focuses on Joplin-area history (01/21/13) JOPLIN, Mo. -- When Tess Harmon recently interviewed a 92-year-old family friend about quilting, she realized that the past can be valuable. "I think sometimes we take for granted all the things we have now, and we forget that back then it wasn't as easy as now," said Harmon, a sophomore at Joplin High School. "We don't realize that the past can give us just as much information. I think we can use the past to influence and help us in the future, and I think sometimes we don't realize that."... 'On the right track': United Way believes its 'mobilization plan' has helped Cape students (01/21/13) The United Way of Southeast Missouri is enthusiastic about recently released statistics that show areas of improvement in Cape Girardeau's public schools during the 2011-2012 school year. "We're very pleased with how the numbers came out," said Nancy Jernigan, executive director of the United Way of Southeast Missouri. "Though there is room for improvement, we believe we're on the right track with our plan."... Group touts letter grades to interpret school performance (01/20/13) A Missouri not-for-profit group would like to see the state's schools rated on an individual basis -- instead of by entire districts -- and have a letter grade attached to each school's performance. The Children's Education Alliance of Missouri [CEAM], based in St. Louis, seeks to implement a ratings system for every public school in the state in addition to ratings given to school districts. GED test to be computer only, increase in price in 2014 (01/17/13) Beginning in January 2014, a nationwide, revamped version of the GED equivalency exam will be administered via computer and more than triple in cost to $140. The changes have Tom Robbins, director of the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education' Office of Adult Education and High School Equivalency, looking to change equivalency test providers in Missouri... Southeast spring enrollment up from last year (01/17/13) The total first-day enrollment for the 2013 spring semester at Southeast Missouri State University shows an increase from last year's enrollment numbers. According to Southeast's preliminary report issued Wednesday, first-day enrollment at the university increased 3.4 percent compared to first-day totals in spring 2012. ... Computerized tests pose challenges for schools, students (01/16/13) KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Missouri school districts are anticipating challenges as students switch to taking state tests on computers instead of with No. 2 pencils and bubble sheets, according to a survey released Tuesday. By the 2014-15 school year, Missouri districts will be required to use computer-based assessments... April election filings close; Cape School Board to have new member (01/16/13) There are two vacancies on the Cape Girardeau School Board, and at least one will go to a newly-elected member. The filing deadline for April elections to decide several local races was Tuesday, and incumbents will run unopposed in most cases. Three candidates to fill the two seats on the school board had submitted their names as of 3 p.m. Phil Moore has filed to renew his three-year term. Adrian Toole and Jeff Glenn also filed for seats on the board... Judgment in quarry dispute upheld (01/16/13) A public hearing before the Missouri Land Reclamation Commission must be held on behalf of a local high school and community group that oppose a limestone mining permit held by Heartland Materials LLC in the Fruitland area, the Western District Missouri Court of Appeals said Tuesday... Kelly school board puts bond issue on April ballot (01/15/13) BENTON, Mo. -- The Scott County R-IV School Board at Thursday's meeting unanimously approved placing a $3 million bond issue on the April 2 ballot. "This proposal will help every student in the district, from kindergarten to high school seniors," said Don Moore, district superintendent. Moore, who recently announced his retirement at the end of this school year, said being straightforward and honest with the public regarding the bond issue is a priority... New Central performance venue taking shape (01/14/13) The last unfinished project related to a $40 million bond issue passed by Cape Girardeau voters in 2010 is nearing completion at Cape Girardeau Central High School. The Richard D. Kinder Performance Hall, a state-of-the-art facility with a price tag close to $10 million, is expected to open by February... Cape schools' rating puts 'accredited' status in jeopardy (01/13/13) Under a not-yet-implemented evaluation system for school-district accreditation, the Cape Girardeau School District achieved a score of 60.4 percent. That resulted in an unofficial "provisionally accredited" rating from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education... Nixon calls for lengthening Mo. school year (01/13/13) JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Gov. Jay Nixon on Friday said Missouri school children should be spending more time in the classroom. Nixon wants six days added to the state's academic calendar, a move he said would bring Missouri to the national average of 180 days. The governor said the proposed state budget he presents later this month will include funding to support a longer school year... Southeast receives reaccreditation from higher learning commission (01/09/13) Southeast Missouri State University announced Tuesday that the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools' Higher Learning Commission [HLC] has reaffirmed the university's accreditation for the next seven years. The action will allow the university to continue to provide required services to students and faculty, receive community support and function effectively.... Bonds to fund construction of new elementary school in Jackson (01/09/13) At their first meeting of 2013, members of the Jackson School Board on Thursday night voted to sell the Jackson School District's remaining general-obligation bonds earmarked for the construction of an elementary school. The bonds, approved by Jackson voters in April 2012, will be used to build the district's seventh elementary school -- on North Lacey Street -- at a cost of $16 million.... Missouri victim fights sexual abuse by teachers (01/08/13) KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The man who first coaxed love from Amy Hestir's heart treated her with kindness and affection. He showered the seventh-grader with praise and gifts. He made her feel special. What started as a schoolgirl crush evolved into a sexual relationship between a student and teacher... Jackson, Poplar Bluff bands to march in inaugural parade in Jeff City (01/08/13) High school marching bands from Jackson and Poplar Bluff, Mo., will take part in the 2013 Inaugural Parade in Jefferson City, Mo., according to a news release from the office of Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder. The parade is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. Monday, and will conclude at the Missouri Capitol building. Five elected officials will be sworn in at noon after the parade... Some Missouri districts struggle with new evaluations (01/07/13) KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The St. Louis school system is at risk of regaining its recently shed "unaccredited" label under a new evaluation system that promises to lead to an increase in the number of districts around Missouri rated as faltering, a newly released draft report shows... Private K.C. school to start drug testing students (01/07/13) KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A private, all-boys high school in Kansas City will start drug testing its students next fall, a practice school leaders believe will help students reject peer pressure to use drugs and alcohol. Rockhurst High School Principal Greg Harkness said the new policy, which was announced Thursday, came after two years of research and discussion. ... Missouri raises bar on teacher preparation (01/07/13) ST. LOUIS -- Before stepping into her own classroom, Allison Brown wanted to be prepared for everything that becoming a teacher would throw at her. Planning and teaching a lesson. The best way to help students who are ahead, as well as those struggling. Handling a phone call from a concerned parent. Helping those with problems outside the classroom... United Way funds help support Girl Scout programs (01/03/13) An agency that benefits from the generosity of those that give to the United Way each year are the local troops of the Girl Scouts. Although money is not directly given to the troops in Kennett, the funding given does have an impact on all the area troops, girl scouts and boy scouts alike. Troops in the local areas are directly under the Missouri Girl Scouts of the Heartland... Jefferson School demolition begins (12/30/12) FRED LYNCH ~ flynch@semissourian.com Demolition of the old Jefferson School at Jefferson and Ellis streets began Friday in Cape Girardeau. The two-story brick and stone structure was built in 1904.... Jefferson building demolition begins today (12/28/12) Cape Girardeau's oldest school building soon won't be standing anymore. A demolition permit was issued Thursday for the old Jefferson Elementary School. The two-story brick and stone building has occupied the corner of Jefferson and Ellis streets since 1904. At one time it served as a segue for black students to begin attending the same schools as white students in Cape Girardeau... Mo. Gov. Nixon opposes guns in school (12/26/12) JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Gov. Jay Nixon expressed opposition Monday to legislation that would let Missouri teachers carry concealed guns into classrooms, describing it as "the wrong approach" after the recent deadly shootings at a Connecticut elementary school... Safety in schools: Local districts addressing concerns (12/21/12) In the wake of the shooting rampage at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., locals are likely asking more questions about the safety of children in their schools. Brenda Wood, who has a granddaughter attending Jackson High School, posed a question to the school's staff on the day of the tragedy... School officials: Armed security must be practical (12/23/12) The idea of armed police providing security in schools -- one strongly advocated in the first public statement Friday by the NRA's Wayne LaPierre after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings -- isn't new to the Cape Girardeau and Jackson school districts... Cape legislators undecided on concealed guns for teachers (12/21/12) A local legislator is one of the 24 co-sponsors of a bill that would allow Missouri teachers to carry and conceal guns in schools. The legislation comes after 20 students and six adults were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., last week. The bill is sponsored by Republican Rep. Mike Kelley, and its 24 co-sponsors include House Speaker Tim Jones and Majority Leader John Diehl... Concealed gun bill for teachers filed in Mo. (12/20/12) JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- More than two dozen Missouri lawmakers are backing legislation that would allow teachers and administrators with concealed gun permits to carry weapons in schools. The legislation comes after 20 students and six adults were killed by a shooter at a Connecticut elementary school last week... Classes resuming in Newtown, minus Sandy Hook (12/18/12) NEWTOWN, Conn. (AP) -- With security stepped up and families still on edge in Newtown, students began returning to school Tuesday for the first time since last week's massacre, bringing a return of familiar routines -- at least, for some -- to a grief-stricken town as it buries 20 of its children... Cape school board discusses dress code changes (12/18/12) Recommendations to change the existing dress code for the Cape Girardeau School District were discussed Monday during a special work session of the school board. Board members, staff from the superintendent's office and principals from Cape Girardeau schools gave examples of dress code violations within their schools and also heard the recommendations, which consisted of:... Jackson parents pray for students, schools in wake of mass murder (12/18/12) In the aftermath of Friday's shooting rampage in Newtown, Conn., many are trying to overcome the grief over the killing of 20 children and six adults in the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School. President Barack Obama said Sunday night in the Newtown High School auditorium that he was mindful that words couldn't match the sorrow, but he told those assembled, "Newtown, you are not alone."... Springfield chocolate company sells Tanzanian rice to help school (12/17/12) SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- A Springfield chocolate company has started selling rice from the small village in east Africa that supplies the company with its cocoa beans. Askinosie Chocolate has begun selling bags of rice from the Tanzanian village of Kyela, which is where owner Shawn Askinosie obtains the cocoa beans for the company's line of chocolate bars. Proceeds from the rice sales will fund the lunch program for the village's school, according to The Springfield News-Leader... Fiscal cliff could have local effect (12/16/12) Looming less than three weeks away could be big changes to the country's financial situation, from households and small businesses to government entities that provide services to millions. In Southeast Missouri, schools could see reductions in federally funded services for students. Local governments are also bracing for another dip in sales tax revenue after the books finally began to even out as the recession wanes... Town mourns as police look for answers (12/15/12) NEWTOWN, Conn. -- Investigators tried to figure out what led a bright but painfully awkward 20-year-old to slaughter 26 children and adults at a Connecticut elementary school, while townspeople sadly took down some of their Christmas decorations and struggled Saturday with how to go on.... Cape, Jackson administrators discuss security in wake of Conn. shootings (12/16/12) Questions that can fly through one's mind of upon hearing of such a tragedy that occurred Friday in an elementary school in the quiet New England suburbs are endless. "Is my child safe at school?" worries a parent. "Will that happen in my class?" students ask themselves... AP source: Suspect drove to mother's school (12/14/12) WASHINGTON (AP) -- A law enforcement official says the suspect in the Connecticut school shootings is 20-year-old Adam Lanza, the son of a teacher at the school where the shootings occurred. A second law enforcement official says the boy's mother, Nancy Lanza, is presumed dead. Man kills mother, then 26 at Conn. grade school (12/15/12) A man opened fire Friday inside two classrooms at the Connecticut elementary school where his mother was a teacher, killing 26 people, including 20 children, as youngsters cowered in corners and closets and trembled helplessly to the sound of shots reverberating through the building. The 20-year-old killer, carrying two handguns, committed suicide at the school, and another person was found dead at a second scene, bringing the toll to 28, authorities said. Change of direction set for Alma Schrader Elementary (12/14/12) The pattern for dropping off and picking up schoolchildren at Alma Schrader Elementary School will be altered next week as the school tests a new traffic plan to alleviate afternoon traffic congestion. Principal Ruth Ann Orr said the plan, presented Tuesday to members of the Alma Schrader PTO, received a positive response from parents and teachers. To be tested next Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, plans call for a reversal of the traffic pattern at Alma Schrader, which currently consists of two entry points located on Janet Drive and a single exit onto Randol Avenue. Instead, there will be a single entry to the school from Randol Avenue and two exits onto Janet Drive. ... Perry County superintendent will earn $115K in first year (12/12/12) PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- The incoming superintendent for the Perry County School District will have a base salary of $115,000 for each year of his three-year contract. Scott Ireland will receive that amount with the possibility of a raise in the second and third years of his contract, according to information provided by the school district. ... Incoming Perryville superintendent says he won't micromanage (12/11/12) PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- The new superintendent of the Perry County School District said he is taking the position with no reservations, and plans to implement his own style of management when he comes aboard next year. "I'm very straightforward," said Scott Ireland in a telephone interview Monday. "There's no flash when it comes to my approach. I'm the kind who just wants to get the job done."... Perry County hires new superintendent (12/09/12) PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- At a special Thursday meeting of the Perry County School Board, members voted to offer a three-year contract to Scott Ireland as superintendent of the Perry County School District. Ireland accepted the offer. Ireland is superintendent of the Pleasant Hope School District in Pleasant Hope, Mo., He was one of three finalists presented at the district staff meeting Tuesday. ... 3 hope to be Perryville superintendent (12/05/12) Another step was taken Tuesday by the Perry County School Board in its search to replace retiring superintendent Kevin Dunn. After narrowing down a list of 15 candidates, three finalists vying for the position appeared separately before a gathering of the school board and district staff members to introduce themselves and make the case for their hiring... 5 states set to increase class time (12/03/12) WASHINGTON -- School for thousands of public school students is about to get quite a bit longer. Five states were to announce today that they will add at least 300 hours of learning time to the calendar in some schools starting in 2013. Colorado, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York and Tennessee will take part in the initiative, which is intended to boost student achievement and make U.S. schools more competitive on a global level... Mo. approves new teacher preparation standards (11/28/12) ST. LOUIS - The Missouri State Board of Education has approved new standards for teacher preparation programs. The new policy sets out standards for preparing future teachers and the requirements students must meet to earn their educator certificates... Board aims high with 1:1 computer initiative (11/28/12) By the second semester of the next school year, about 1,200 Cape Girardeau Central High School students would have portable computers in their hands under a proposal from a technology committee, though the funding is far from guaranteed. Recommendations for a pilot program that would cost an estimated $976,000 to provide portable computers for all students at the school were presented at a special meeting of the Cape Girardeau Board of Education Tuesday... United Way after-school initiative serving more than 600 (11/28/12) Over 600 students in the Cape Girardeau and Jackson school districts have received after-school help through the United Way of Southeast Missouri's Leading and Inspiring Families to Excel (LIFE) Initiative. The LIFE Initiative works with students in after-school programs to provide resources needed to improve academic skills, gain life and social skills, improve attendance, reduce disciplinary referrals and prepare for success in the classroom and beyond... Teachers embroiled in test-taking fraud in 3 southern states, feds say (11/26/12) MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- It was a brazen and surprisingly long-lived scheme, authorities said, to help aspiring public school teachers cheat on the tests they must pass to prove they are qualified to lead their classrooms. For 15 years, teachers in three Southern states paid Clarence Mumford Sr. ... Audit finds no problems in Cape Girardeau School District (11/20/12) The annual audit of the Cape Girardeau School District during Monday night's special work session revealed a school system that is on sound footing, school officials said. "We're very solid," said superintendent Dr. James Welker. "The audit produced no adverse findings in the way the district conducts its business. The district is in good shape."... Obama's education plan dominated by loose ends (11/19/12) WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama's education agenda for next four years may look less like real reform and more like tying up loose ends, experts say, with practical budget issues and an age-old power struggle between Congress and the administration getting in the way... Local efforts seek to restore early childhood education funding (11/18/12) Gov. Jay Nixon has cut spending in Missouri by more than $1.6 billion dollars during his first term in response to the economic realities of the recession and recovery. But some people in Cape Girardeau are pushing the governor to put some of that money back into early childhood education services... Jackson board OKs insurance increase (11/14/12) A new health insurance plan that contains a slight increase in the cost of premiums for the Jackson R-II School District was considered and unanimously approved by the Jackson School Board at its meeting Tuesday night. According to Superintendent Dr. ... Red Dagger puts on show beginning Thursday (11/14/12) "A Curious Savage," presented by Red Dagger opens 7:30 p.m., Thursday at Cape Girardeau Central Junior High School, 205 Caruthers Ave. Cost is $8 for adults and $5 for students. The play will also show 8 p.m. Friday and 7:30 p.m., Saturday. "A Curious Savage" is about an eccentric widow whose family has had her committed to a sanitarium in a ploy to get her money. For more information, call 335-8228... United Way announces expansion of Read to Succeed (11/09/12) The United Way of Southeast Missouri has expanded the Read to Succeed program to all five elementary schools in the Cape Girardeau public school district, according to a news release. According to the release 140 local volunteers have spent over 10,000 hours with children in the program. ... Former coach gets probation for stealing from football program (11/09/12) POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- The former head coach of the Poplar Bluff Mules football team was placed on probation Tuesday after pleading guilty in connection with stealing from funds raised for the team. Michael "Shane" Kearbey, 39, pleaded guilty to felony stealing before Presiding Circuit Judge Michael Pritchett, according to Butler County assistant prosecuting attorney Paul Oesterreicher... Cape, Jackson schools ready for American Education Week (11/09/12) Several Cape Girardeau County schools will observe American Education Week starting Monday, with events ranging from supporting troops overseas to the writing of educational graffiti on a school sidewalk. All of the elementary schools in the Cape Girardeau and Jackson school districts have organized special activities. Here are activities a few of the schools have planned:... Search is on to replace Perryville superintendent (11/08/12) The search by the Perry County School Board to find a replacement for retiring superintendent Kevin Dunn took another step during a special work session of the board Wednesday night. The school board met to discuss and review applications they received for superintendent of the Perry County Public Schools. A search has been ongoing since the beginning of the school year... Photo: School dedicates new library (11/02/12) FRED LYNCH ~ flynch@semissourian.com Steve Shaffner conducts the Central Junior High School Orchestra prior to the dedication of the Louis Lorimier Library Thursday, Nov. ... Photo: Alma Schrader's Halloween parade (10/31/12) LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com Alma Schrader kindergarten students Blake Pardon and Aimee Caldwell pass by fellow kindergarten students Owen Gardner, right, Jazzlyn Fullenwider, center, and Jaedyn Hethcote Wednesday ... Cape siblings honored for savvy business skills by director of Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (10/25/12) Kayleigh, Lizzie and Jeffrey Turk could barely wait for Cape Splash, Cape Girardeau's new water park, to open in May 2010. The twin sisters, now 10 years old, and little their brother, now 7, begged their mother, Suzanna Long, to give them money for tickets. Their mother said they would have loved even more to have season passes so they could spend as many days as possible playing in sprinklers and shooting down water slides during their summer vacation... Appeals court sets schedule for Strack quarry appeal (10/25/12) The Eastern District of the Missouri Court of Appeals has denied a motion by Strack Excavating LLC of Cape Girardeau to be able to operate its quarry near Saxony Lutheran High School and has set a briefing schedule for the parties involved in the appeals process... Ribbon-cutting completes new Franklin Elementary (10/21/12) Cape Girardeau School District and city officials marked completion of the largest single project under the district's voter-approved school-improvement plan Friday with a ribbon cutting at the new Franklin Elementary School. The improvements are the result of a voter-approved bond issue passed in 2010 that provided $40 million in funding, and at $10 million the new Franklin Elementary building was the costliest project in the district's improvement project... Ribbon-cutting completes new Franklin Elementary (10/21/12) Cape Girardeau School District and city officials marked completion of the largest single project under the district's voter-approved school-improvement plan Friday with a ribbon cutting at the new Franklin Elementary School. The improvements are the result of a voter-approved bond issue passed in 2010 that provided $40 million in funding, and at $10 million the new Franklin Elementary building was the costliest project in the district's improvement project... Strack Excavating appeals quarry permit ruling (10/18/12) After having lost its permit to operate a limestone quarry near Saxony Lutheran High School, Strack Excavating LLC of Cape Girardeau is taking its case to the Eastern District of the Missouri Court of Appeals. Brian McGovern of Chesterfield, Mo., who represented Strack at the circuit-court level, has filed an appeal with the St. ... Texas AG intervenes in cheerleader banner dispute (10/18/12) AUSTIN, Texas -- Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott said Wednesday he will defend high school cheerleaders who want to use Bible verses on banners at football games. Abbott has filed court papers to intervene in a lawsuit that cheerleaders at Kountze High School filed against the school district complaining that a new policy violated their freedom of speech. ... Ribbon-cutting for Franklin Elementary is Friday (10/17/12) The new, 50,000-square-foot Franklin Elementary School will be the site of a ribbon-cutting Friday that will mark the official opening of the new facility. The new school, built over the last two years with $10 million from taxpayer-approved bonds, was the costliest project among $40 million worth of districtwide improvements. Franklin was identified by the district as needing the most renovations, and the old Franklin building, built in 1927, has been demolished... Cape Educators of the Year honored (10/17/12) The Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce Education Committee honored four educators at the Educator Appreciation Reception on Tuesday evening at The Venue. Lee Ann Norris, Stacy Stapleton, Marty Vines, and Dr. John Kraemer were named 2012 Educators of the Year... St. Louis schools shed ‘unaccredited' stigma after five years (10/17/12) KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Missouri Board of Education voted unanimously Tuesday to let the St. Louis public school district shed its "unaccredited" label, a move that makes it no longer subject to a state law allowing students to transfer to better-performing districts... Big Brothers Big Sisters gets White House honor (10/17/12) Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri is among 24 winners being recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the White House in a recent contest for school improvement. The organization runs mentoring programs that serve Cape Girardeau and the St. Louis area and is being honored for an early warning and recognition system, ABC Today!. The system is currently in use in the Cape Girardeau School District and promotes attendance, good behavior and success in reading and math... Cape school board discusses new teacher evaluation system (10/16/12) The 2012-2013 school year will be a year of transition for teacher evaluations in the Cape Girardeau School District. The Missouri Model Teacher and Leaders Standards, a new system of teacher evaluation, will be eased in throughout the remainder of the school year and will replace the Performance Based Teacher Evaluation system the district has relied upon to evaluate educators... Bus tour supporting tobacco tax increase rolls into Cape Girardeau (10/10/12) Supporters of a November ballot initiative that would dramatically increase Missouri's tobacco tax -- the lowest in the nation -- brought their bus tour to Cape Girardeau to stump for the measure Tuesday. The Proposition B Bus Tour, sponsored by the Jefferson City, Mo.-based organization Show-Me A Brighter Future, made a stop at Capaha Park to rally support for the tax increase that supporters say will mean a windfall for Missouri education... Panel discussion on synthetic drugs set for Thursday at Jackson (10/10/12) Local law enforcement and members of the SEMO Drug Task Force will make up a panel for a presentation geared toward parents about the dangers of synthetic drugs. The event, organized by the SEMO Youth Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition, Jackson School District and the THRIVE organization, will be from 6:30 to 8 p.m. ... Tobacco tax supporters to rally in Cape Girardeau (10/09/12) Supporters of a November ballot issue that would increase Missouri's tobacco taxes will rally in Cape Girardeau today, according to a group that supports the initiative. The Proposition B Bus Tour will make a stop at Capaha Park at Broadway and West End Boulevard at 9:30 a.m., Tuesday, according to a news release from Show-Me A Brighter Future. ... France looking to shorten school days and lengthen week (10/07/12) PARIS -- French children go to school four days a week. They have about two hours each day for lunch. And they have more vacation than their counterparts almost anywhere in the West. It may sound a bit like the famously leisurely work pace enjoyed by their parents, most of whom work 35 hours per week as dictated by law... Big Brothers Big Sisters seeking 60 mentors for Central High students (10/05/12) In an effort to match more students with mentors, the Cape Girardeau chapter of Big Brothers Big Sisters is seeking to match 60 students from Central High School with mentors from now until the end of the year. Ashley Beggs, executive director of Cape Girardeau Big Brothers Big Sisters, said the organization depends oin volunteers who want to become mentors... Alma Schrader to hold Walk to School Day (10/03/12) Alma Schrader Elementary School will participate in Walk to School Day at 7:30 a.m. today beginning at Dennis Scivally Park on Cape Rock Drive in Cape Girardeau. Students, teachers, parents, grandparents and others are being encouraged to walk to school. ... Workforce wanted: Businesses say an area's workforce is a top priority when looking to move or expand (09/30/12) When it comes to choosing where to move or expand a business, companies consistently rank workforce as one their top three considerations. A 2011 survey of corporate site selectors by Area Development magazine, ranked highway accessibility as the No. 1 factor in choosing a location, but labor costs and availability of skilled labor were in a two-way tie for No. 2... SEMO to receive grant for nursing program (09/27/12) U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson announced Wednesday that Southeast Missouri State University will receive a grant of more than $204,000 for its Advanced Education Nursing Traineeship. "This great opportunity for the university also helps address a critical need for nurses in our Southeast Missouri communities," Emerson said. ... Judge denies quarry request to operate pending appeal (09/26/12) A Cape Girardeau County judge has denied a local quarry operator's request to continue production near a local private high school. Judge William Syler on Wednesday denied a request filed by Strack Excavating LLC to continue operating its quarry near Saxony Lutheran High School. The move comes after Syler on Sept. 12 reversed a decision by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources' Land Reclamation Commission to award Strack a permit to operate the quarry... Day finishes normally despite power outage at Cape Central High School (09/27/12) Cape Girardeau Central High School was without electricity Wednesday afternoon but officials say classes will continue as scheduled through the remainder of the day. Superintendent Dr. Jim Welker said the outage is believed to have been caused by a transformer that caught fire away from the school building and fire crews and school staff were still on the scene shortly after noon. No details on what may have caused the fire were yet available from the Cape Girardeau Fire Department... Immigrant requests strain consulates, schools (09/26/12) SAN DIEGO -- Schools in Yakima, Wash., are taking nearly a month to deliver transcripts to former students. The Mexican consulate in Denver introduced Saturday hours last month after passport applications spiked by one-third. San Diego public schools added five employees in a new office to handle records requests... Chicago students return to class as strike ends (09/20/12) CHICAGO (AP) -- Chicago children returned to school Wednesday, less than a day after teachers ended a seven-day strike that disrupted the daily routines of thousands of families and made the city a flashpoint in the debate over union rights and efforts to overhaul the nation's public education system... Chicago teachers vote to return to classroom (09/19/12) CHICAGO -- Teachers agreed Tuesday to return to the classroom after more than a week on the picket lines in Chicago, ending a combative stalemate with Mayor Rahm Emanuel over evaluations and job security, two issues at the heart of efforts to reform the nation's public schools... Missouri revokes accreditation from St. Louis-area district (09/19/12) JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri education officials revoked the accreditation of a St. Louis-area school district Tuesday and dropped a southeast Kansas City district to provisional accreditation. The Missouri State Board of Education's action means the Normandy School District in St. Louis County faces a two-year clock to improve and regain accreditation or face state intervention. State board members voted to classify Normandy as unaccredited, which will be effective Jan. 1... Saxony gets DNR letter over sewer lagoon (09/18/12) Saxony Lutheran High School principal Dr. Craig Ernstmeyer says a miscommunication is to blame for the school's failure to file a report with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources concerning its wastewater treatment lagoons. The school received a letter of warning from the DNR earlier this month after an inspection Aug. 24 indicated violations and the DNR still did not have the required report... Chicago teachers to again consider ending strike (09/18/12) CHICAGO -- Mayor Rahm Emanuel's appeal to the courts to end a six-day teachers strike in the nation's third-largest city set off a new round of recriminations Monday, but did little to end a walkout that has left parents scrambling and kept 350,000 students out of class... Illegal immigrants in California ask for school records (09/18/12) LOS ANGELES -- Thousands of illegal immigrants have inundated the nation's second-largest school district with requests for copies of records that might qualify them for the Obama administration's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, the district said Monday... Cape's A+ coordinator hopes for more student enrollment (09/18/12) The coordinator of the A+ Program at Central High School is looking to get more students involved. Janet Ruessler discussed the program, which provides scholarships to Missouri two-year colleges and vocational schools, at the Cape Girardeau School Board meeting Monday night... Talks to end teachers strike in Chicago make progress (09/14/12) CHICAGO -- The city's public schools will stay closed for at least one more day, but leaders of the Chicago Teachers Union and the school district kept talking Thursday, with both sides saying they were drawing closer to a deal to end the nearly weeklong strike... Chicago Teachers Union president is brash advocate (09/13/12) CHICAGO -- She's brash and blunt, a union leader known for her tart tongue and flip one-liners often aimed at Mayor Rahm Emanuel in a bitter contract dispute regarded as a referendum on the future of Chicago schools. But Karen Lewis -- who recently referred to the high-stakes talks as "the silly part" of her day -- also is an Ivy League graduate with a long, distinguished record in the classroom and the overwhelming support of her union's 30,000 members... Judge reverses state decision on quarry near Saxony Lutheran (09/13/12) Saxony Lutheran High School won a major victory Wednesday against the Department of Natural Resource's Land Reclamation Commission when a Cape Girardeau County judge overturned a land commission ruling awarding a mining permit for a quarry near the school. Striking Chicago teachers get support from parents (09/12/12) CHICAGO -- As Chicago teachers walked the picket lines for a second day, they were joined by many of the very people who are most inconvenienced by their strike: the parents who must now scramble to find a place for children to pass the time or for baby sitters... Chicago teacher strike poses test for unions (09/11/12) WASHINGTON (AP) -- The massive teacher strike in Chicago offers a high-profile test for the nation's teacher unions, which have seen their political influence threatened as a growing reform movement seeks to expand charter schools, get private companies involved with failing schools and link teacher evaluations to student test scores... Southeast Missouri school bus driver arrested on warrant while transporting team (09/11/12) POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- A bus driver from the Poplar Bluff School District was arrested Friday afternoon in Illinois while driving varsity soccer team members to a game at Anna-Jonesboro Community High School. Bobby Joe Tippit, 33, remained in custody Saturday at the Tri-County Justice and Detention Center in Ullin, Ill., on a warrant for failure to appear. No bond had been set... Chicago teachers to strike after contract talks fail (09/10/12) CHICAGO -- The Chicago Teachers Union says its members will go on strike today for the first time in 25 years. The union says contract talks with the district failed late Sunday night over issues including benefits and job security. "We will be on the [picket] line," Chicago Teachers Union president Karen Lewis said Sunday night, calling it a difficult decision and one the union hoped could be avoided... Vaccine opt-outs are on the rise at California private schools (09/10/12) SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Parents who send their children to private schools in California are much more likely to opt out of immunizations than their public school counterparts, an Associated Press analysis has found, and not even the recent re-emergence of whooping cough has halted the downward trajectory of vaccinations among these students... Chicago teachers say latest offer disappointing; could strike Monday (09/09/12) CHICAGO -- The vice president of the Chicago Teachers Union said Saturday the city school district's latest offer in contract negotiations was disappointing and that the wrangling would continue throughout the weekend, as tens of thousands of teachers readied to walk off the job Monday... Judge hears arguments in Saxony Lutheran quarry case (09/07/12) A judge heard arguments Thursday in a lawsuit challenging a permit granted for a quarry near a Fruitland school. Attendance push prized by educators (09/04/12) BERKELEY, Calif. -- School day wake-up calls recorded by celebrities. Weekend makeup classes. Contests with laptop computers, private concerts and cars as prizes. Educators across the nation are using creative strategies as another school year gets underway to convince students and parents that regular attendance matters -- and not just for grades and achievement... Cape Girardeau among districts vying for Race to the Top grants (08/31/12) JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- More than a dozen Missouri school districts are among nearly 900 nationwide planning to apply for a slice of nearly $400 million in grants from the U.S. Education Department. The department announced Friday that the unaccredited school systems of Kansas City, St. ... New Cape school library named after Lorimier (08/31/12) The Cape Girardeau School Board has named the new library at Central Junior High in honor of city founder Louis Lorimier. According to a news release, the board voted unanimously Monday to name the library the Louis Lorimier Library. Funding for the library came in part from the sale of the Louis J. Schultz school, which was deeded by Lorimier to the city for the establishment of a public school... Cape school committee shaping pilot '1:1' tech program (08/31/12) A pilot program to provide portable personal computers to Cape Girardeau students took form Thursday as a committee hammered out some of the issues involved. Twenty-three members of the Action Research Committee met at the Adult Education Center to study the "1:1" program, which ultimately seeks to provide netbooks for every student in the Cape Girardeau School District... Cobb School sign to be dedicated Saturday; alumni to hold reunion (08/31/12) This weekend, part of Cape Girardeau's history will be observed. A sign will be dedicated in front of the John S. Cobb School at 1 p.m. Saturday on the former school site, at the corner of Merriweather and Ellis streets. Speakers will include Alyssa Lage from the Historic Preservation Commission, Cape Girardeau Mayor Harry Rediger and Linda Cobb, granddaughter of John S. ... Jackson School Board discusses plan to improve education (08/29/12) The Jackson School Board unanimously voiced its approval for the Missouri Vision Project during its meeting Tuesday. The project, a joint effort between the Missouri School Boards' Association and the Missouri Association of School Administrators, was initiated in 2010 to develop a comprehensive plan to improve the educational experience in every school district within the state, according to an outline provided to the board from the Missouri Public Education Vision Project... Kewanee woman chosen as director of Cape children's museum (08/26/12) Pansy Glenn believes with her experience in marketing and fundraising she can help the Discovery Playhouse grow as its new executive director. Glenn, of Kewanee, Mo., will be the children's museum's second executive director, replacing Jennifer Mullix, who resigned in May to pursue graduate studies in St. Louis... Missouri ACT scores identical to last year's (08/23/12) WASHINGTON -- Missouri students performed the same on this year's ACT college-entrance exam as they did in 2011. Data released Wednesday for the class of 2012 show Missouri's composite score unchanged at 21.6 out of a possible 36. Nationally, the average score was 21.1... Shawnee Community College to hold GED classes in East Cape (08/23/12) Shawnee Community College Adult Education will be offering free GED classes at the East Cape Community Center at 50 Brookwood Drive in East Cape Girardeau, Ill. Classes begin Sept. 18 and will run from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. every Tuesday and Thursday. Students can register by showing up at any Tuesday or Thursday session, and enrollment is ongoing. The class will prepare people to pass all sections of the GED test: math, social studies, science and language arts in writing and reading... Indiana public schools wage unusual ad campaign (08/21/12) SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Struggling Indiana public school districts are buying billboard space, airing radio ads and even sending principals door-to-door in an unusual marketing campaign aimed at persuading parents not to move their children to private schools as the nation's largest voucher program doubles in size... Ex-charter school students swell enrollment in St. Louis, Kansas City (08/20/12) KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Enrollment has swelled in unaccredited St. Louis and Kansas City public schools as about 5,000 students from shuttered charter schools find a new place to get an education. Years of declining enrollment, spurred by families moving to the suburbs or enrolling child in private, parochial or charter schools, meant the two districts saw less money from the state, which forced deep budget cuts. ... Cape grad rate tops 80 percent (08/19/12) Early in the summer, Cape Girardeau School District officials predicted a rise in graduation rates. Last week, numbers released showed their prediction came true. The district's graduation rate, computed using a traditional method, reached above 80 percent for the first time since 2006... Students return for College High reunion of classes of 1947 to 1958 (08/19/12) People from all over the country returned to Cape Girardeau for the College High School reunion of classes of 1947 through 1958 Friday night at the Osage Centre. According to Paul Summers, class of 1952 and reunion committee member, 139 classmates and spouses gathered for the informal mixer Friday and 188 were expected for Saturday night's social and banquet. Classmates were coming from such states as California, Arizona, Mississippi and Texas, Summers said... Cape school officials: Few issues with new dress code (08/17/12) A majority of students returning to classes in the Cape Girardeau School District for the first day of the 2012-2013 school year complied with new rules on clothing, district administrators said Thursday. Elementary principals said they purposely were not too strict about the new code for the first day but did remind a few students in the case their clothing did not fit the code... Students, staff get settled in new facilities on first day of school in Cape (08/17/12) Mike Moore, a Franklin Elementary fourth-grader, will miss his old school. But not too much. "I believe we are going to have even more and better fun here," Moore said Thursday, the first day of the 2012-2013 school year, while trailing a step behind a line of his classmates on a tour of the new "home" to over 300 Cape Girardeau School District students... Area MAP scores not far from last year's levels (08/15/12) Scores on last spring's Missouri Assessment Program tests show many Southeast Missouri schools making gradual improvements. In a sampling of local school districts, percentages of students meeting or exceeding progress standards under the federal No Child Left Behind law rose and fell in small amounts... Preparing for school at Franklin Elementary in Cape (08/14/12) LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com First year teacher Elizabeth Speicher unpacks math books in her fourth grade classroom Monday morning at Franklin Elementary in Cape Girardeau. ... St. Louis schools closer to partial accreditation (08/14/12) KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- St. Louis Public Schools could be on track to regain partial accreditation as early as next year, while the also unaccredited Kansas City and Riverview Gardens districts still have a ways to go, according to state data released today... Administrators take new roles at Sikeston schools (08/13/12) SIKESTON, Mo. -- Several buildings in the Sikeston School District will contain familiar faces -- but in different administrative roles -- as the new school year gets underway Wednesday. Tom Williams, who has worked the past 13 of his 23 years in the district as principal of the high school, officially began as the district's superintendent July 1... Nixon taps former GOP leader for Missouri board of education (08/12/12) JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Gov. Jay Nixon has appointed a former Republican leader of the Missouri Senate to an eight-year term on the State Board of Education. The Democratic governor announced the nomination of Charlie Shields on Friday. Shields, of St. Joseph, can join the board immediately but must be confirmed by the Senate when lawmakers return to the Capitol... Education Secretary Duncan on reform and back to school (08/09/12) WASHINGTON -- A more well-rounded curriculum with less focus on a single test. Higher academic standards and more difficult classwork. Continued cuts to extracurricular and other activities because of the tough economy. Education Secretary Arne Duncan says those are some of the changes and challenges that children could notice as they start the new school year... Cape high school students get mixed marks for adhering to dress code during orientation (08/07/12) Polo shirt? A majority passed. Shorts of "appropriate length" and shoes that cover the foot? Not so many did as well. Orientation sessions held at Cape Girardeau Central High School on Monday were a trial run of sorts for student compliance with the new dress code that will take effect on the first day of school. ... Mo. school district starts random drug testing (08/06/12) MARYVILLE, Mo. -- Maryville school officials say about 80 percent of the district's 700 students will be subject to random drug testing when classes resume later this month. The school board in northwest Missouri approved a drug-testing policy in May that will randomly test students in seventh through 12th grades who participate in extracurricular activities... Lack of funds problem for childcare providers (08/06/12) Year after year, Missouri child care advocates keep calling for improvement in daycare and preschool programs. Ideas for how to do that are abundant. But the most important element, money, is not. In Southeast Missouri, providers report they are facing more difficult times than ever. ... Cape Career and Technology Center to roll out more programs in '13 (08/03/12) Education officials hope some of Southeast Missouri's high school students could soon be on a faster track to becoming the region's future workforce with the help of a $1 million grant from the state. The development of the Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center as an "Innovation Campus" during the next year will begin new programs locally and throughout the region that allow high school students to receive college credit and gain work experience, said Rich Payne, director of the center... Cape's Islamic Center giving away backpacks to needy students (08/03/12) Backpacks will be given away to students in need during an annual back-to-school event at the Islamic Center of Cape Girardeau on Friday. A representative of the center said backpacks will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis and that families will be asked to provide information showing need upon arrival... Three Rivers board votes to cut ties with foundation (08/01/12) POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- After years of an increasingly contentious relationship, Three Rivers College Board of Trustees voted 5-1 Monday to disassociate itself from one of its oldest supporting entities. "It is my opinion that this board has no alternative but to sever all ties with Three Rivers College Foundation, and urge the Foundation to disband considering the fact that it is no longer serving the purpose for which it was created," board chairman Randy Winston said in a prepared statement made before the motion.. ... Demand high for free dress code clothing at Cape Junior High (08/01/12) A line of parents and students hoping to take home free clothing items that will comply with the Cape Girardeau School District's new dress code was winding out from the gym through the lobby and into the parking lot of Cape Girardeau Central Junior High this morning... Catholic schools see marketing aid enrollment (07/30/12) LOS ANGELES -- After 97 years, Our Lady of Lourdes School was closing -- enrollment had dwindled to just 35 children last year at what was once one of the West Coast's biggest Catholic schools. But with a new principal who knocked on doors, offered Xbox video game consoles to kids who brought in a friend, and recruited families who lost their bid in a charter school lottery, the East Los Angeles school stayed open -- 132 pupils are registered for this fall... Southeast MIssouri couple moving to China to teach English (07/25/12) Once upon a time, a husband and wife spent many years making a difference in Southeast Missouri education. Dr. Robert Gifford helped countless college students hone their talents, directed bands and ensembles with award-winning results and helped the region share in music from around the world. ... Four teenagers connected to Stoddard County school break-in (07/25/12) BERNIE, Mo. -- Four Bernie teens were arrested over the weekend and charged with breaking into the local high school. Warrants on second-degree burglary charges were issued for the four Sunday following a break-in at Bernie High School about one week earlier... Cape juvenile center keeping students engaged in learning (07/24/12) Keep them in school as much as possible. That's a key move that local juvenile authorities are finding stops teens from dropping out of school. Cape schools prepare for enforcing new dress code (07/22/12) Lists of classroom supplies aren't the only guides Cape Girardeau public school students and parents are looking to as they prepare to return to classes in less than a month. The first day back this year may require some extra checks in the mirror. A new student dress code will be enforced Aug. ... Mixed results for efforts to ban certain books from Mo. schools (07/20/12) COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Recent efforts to restrict Missouri students' classroom or library access to certain books have met with mixed results, new research by the University of Missouri School of Journalism shows. The Columbia Missourian reported bans or restrictions have been considered on more than 50 books in 32 Missouri school districts since 2008. Graduate journalism students relied on more than 560 public records requests to compile the data... Bloomfield will not hire middle school principal (07/19/12) BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- The Bloomfield School Board voted Monday to accept the resignation of middle school principal Eric Boles and then decided not to fill that position for the 2012-2013 school year. The board gave the principal duties for sixth grade to elementary principal Amy James and the administrative duties for seventh and eighth grade to high school principal Dustin Hicks... District to expand preschool with opening of new Franklin Elementary (07/18/12) Franklin Elementary School will welcome a new age group of students this fall when preschoolers join ranks and access to early childhood education makes an advance in the Cape Girardeau School District. Similar progress growing preschool programs in the Jackson School District should take place within the next few years when a new elementary is complete... Cape School Board to hear graduation rate answers tonight (07/16/12) The Cape Girardeau School Board will hear answers from district administrators to their questions about the district's low graduation rate tonight. Superintendent Jim Welker and assistant superintendent Sherry Copeland told board members at the June 18 meeting of the board they would present data collected thus far on the effectiveness of a professional learning communities model at the high school. ... Cape school administrators say improvement measures working (07/17/12) An improvement model at the high school is working, Cape Girardeau administrators say, and the proof lies in the numbers. During June's regular meeting of the Cape Girardeau School Board, members asked to see data on the model's effectiveness and how high numbers of students transferring in and out of schools were possibly hurting the district's graduation rate... North student rec center to be closed for renovations (07/15/12) Renovations on the Southeast Missouri State University campus will close recreational facilities for several days. The north student recreation center will close July 30 and reopen Aug. 6, according to a university news release. The Student Aquatic Center will also close July 30, and will reopen Aug. 12... Ahead of new dress code, Cape schools to hold clothing drive (07/13/12) Cape Girardeau School District officials and school staff, in preparation for a new dress code in August, are planning a clothing drive. Donations of new or slightly used dress code-appropriate clothing will be redistributed among students in financial need, according to a news release issued by the district Thursday... Grant to expand Cape-area reading program will be $107,900 (07/13/12) The amount of grant funding the United Way of Southeast Missouri will receive to expand a volunteer-run reading improvement program in area schools this fall was announced Thursday by the Missouri Community Service Commission. Read to Succeed began in Blanchard and Alma Schrader elementary schools in recent years and will be added to Clippard, Franklin elementary schools, as well as Gordonville Attendance Center during the coming school year. ... Answers to Cape graduation rate questions expected at Monday board meeting (07/13/12) Cape Girardeau School Board members will receive answers Monday to questions they recently posed to administrators about the effects an academic and behavioral improvement model has on the district's graduation rate. Superintendent Jim Welker and assistant superintendent Sherry Copeland told board members at the June 18 meeting of the board they would present data collected thus far on the effectiveness of a professional learning communities model at the high school. ... Scott County libraries to offer training for e-readers (07/11/12) SIKESTON, Mo. -- Two Scott County libraries have received state grants to better assist patrons with their e-reader devices. The Sikeston Public Library received a federal e-reader Exploration Grant for $1,871, while the Chaffee Public Library received the same type of grant for $1,480... Read to Succeed program expanding in Cape, Jackson this fall (07/11/12) Plan A for growing a volunteer-run reading improvement program in local elementary schools is now in action. Read to Succeed, a project of the United Way of Southeast Missouri that until this summer depended on a funding donation from the GRACES Women's Council, sends around 140 volunteer tutors from the community into two Cape Girardeau School District elementaries to help kindergarten and first-grade students up their grade-level reading skills... Child care providers cautious during recent heat wave (07/10/12) With a few happy screams, children took back outdoor play Monday after a seemingly endless heat wave left Southeast Missouri. During the past month, several area child care providers say they've had to use extra caution when allowing children to spend time outside. Summertime can pose extra safety risks to children -- and especially susceptible to heat illnesses are those under age 5, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention... Parents defend putting children to work on farms (07/11/12) FULTS, Ill. -- As he watched his 10-year-old son ease a tractor across a soybean field, Dennis Mosbacher acknowledged the risks of farming. Cape Girardeau School District looking at strategies to lower drop out rate (07/09/12) A Cape Girardeau School District plan for reducing the number of students quitting school may include earlier identification of those most at-risk to drop out through the use of surveys. A team of district staff from the administrative office, high school, junior high and middle school has been meeting periodically to develop an "action plan" for dropout reduction in association with the district's participation in grant programming funded by the U.S. ... More public schools splitting up boys, girls (07/09/12) MIDDLETON, Idaho -- Robin Gilbert didn't set out to confront gender stereotypes when she split up the boys and girls at her elementary school in rural southwestern Idaho. But that's exactly what happened, with her Middleton Heights Elementary now among dozens of public schools nationwide being targeted by the American Civil Liberties Union in a bitter struggle over whether single-sex learning should be continued. ... Sikeston School District budget includes pay increases for teachers and staff (07/02/12) SIKESTON, Mo. -- For the first time in two years, Sikeston School District staff will see an increase in their salaries for the upcoming school year. The district's school board approved funding three steps on the salary schedule for most support and certified staff. On Tuesday, the board adopted the $31.5 million budget for the new fiscal year, which began Sunday... Local officials react to Missouri receiving No Child Left Behind waiver (07/02/12) Friday's announcement from the White House that five more states will receive waivers from some requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind Act gave educators in Missouri and elsewhere reason to finally breathe a sigh of relief, but local school officials say accountability for student achievement is still a top priority... Former Cape Girardeau teacher found not guilty of assaulting student (07/01/12) Several hours of testimony Friday by three students didn't convince a jury that a former Cape Girardeau Central High School science teacher was guilty of assaulting one of his pupils during a January incident in a downtown parking lot. Missouri among 5 states selected for No Child Left Behind waiver (07/01/12) Five more states have been granted relief from key requirements of the Bush-era No Child Left Behind law, bringing the total to 24 states given waivers, the Education Department said Friday. Arkansas, Missouri, South Dakota, Utah and Virginia will be freed from the No Child Left Behind requirement that all students test proficient in math and reading by 2014, a goal the nation remains far from achieving... Three Rivers approves budget for next year (06/28/12) POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- The Three Rivers College Board of Trustees approved during Tuesday's monthly meeting a $22.9 million operating budget for the next fiscal year. The budget contains no planned deficit spending or surplus revenue. President Dr. Devin Stephenson said the budget sets about $166,000 aside for a possible 4 percent withholding in state funds. This was wise, he explained, in light of Gov. Jay Nixon's recent announcement of what amounts to a 1 percent cut for higher education... Jackson School Board passes budget (06/27/12) The Jackson School Board approved the 2012-2013 operating budget and updated district policies Tuesday night. "We spend, on average, $2,500 less per student than the average Missouri school district," district chief financial officer Wade Bartels said, highlighting district thriftiness... Cape schools' tech initiative could be 'paradigm shift,' assistant superintendent says (06/26/12) A Cape Girardeau School District committee that intends to develop a plan for integrating more technology into classrooms got a first look Monday night at an initiative that would provide portable personal computers for students to use in school and at home... Charter school bill would boost oversight (06/25/12) KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Adding more good charter schools and getting rid of bad ones is the goal of legislation under consideration by Gov. Jay Nixon. The publicly funded but independently run schools have been a mixed bag of success and failure since they began opening more than a decade ago in the state... Southeast Missouri State University spring 2012 dean's list (06/24/12) The following students have been named to the spring 2012 dean's list at Southeast Missouri State University:Advance, Mo.: David Vangennip II, Hannah Barr, Jake Tropf, Karen Holman, Katherine Touchette, Lindsey Mace, Sara Mace. Altenburg, Mo.: Arielle Bohnert, Belle Delacruz, Elizabeth Kluesner, Jennifer Dee, Jessica Hecht, Nathan Redecker, Robert Dressler... First meeting about Cape school computer initiative to be Monday (06/24/12) Cape Girardeau public schools will begin an extensive examination of an initiative that would provide portable personal computers for all students when an "action research committee" meets for the first time Monday. Around 40 of the district's administrators, teachers, parents and some community members will gather at the central offices from 5 to 6:30 p.m. ... Gov. Nixon makes more cuts to higher education (06/24/12) JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Missouri's public colleges and universities took another budget hit Friday from Gov. Jay Nixon, marking the third straight year that higher education institutions have seen their basic state aid reduced. Nixon announced nearly $9 million in cuts for colleges and universities while signing Missouri's $24 billion budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1. ... Trial date unchanged for teacher accused of student assault (06/20/12) A trial date set for a former Cape Girardeau teacher charged with assaulting a student didn't change at after a Wednesday hearing. Roman D. Smith, former high school physics teacher at Cape Girardeau Central High School, received a trial date at Wednesday's pretrial hearing at the Cape Girardeau County Courthouse in Jackson. ... Southeast Missouri State University Board of Regents to consider budget today (06/20/12) Southeast Missouri State University's board of regents will consider approval of a $98.3 million annual operating budget and a $36.8 million auxiliary budget today. The budget is based on an anticipated 8 percent cut to state appropriations for Southeast that prompted a tuition raise and the university's budget review committee to continue efforts to cut costs several years in a row... Cape teachers, staff to get 2.66 percent raise (06/20/12) Raises for teachers, although small, are becoming trends during the time school boards spend each summer analyzing annual budget proposals for upcoming school years in Cape Girardeau and Jackson public schools. Cape Girardeau's raises result from board approval to raise base salaries of teachers and administrators. On average, salaries will rise 2.66 percent in the next school year. District officials said the raises are needed so more staff can be transferred to a newer pay schedule... Cape Girardeau School Board wants to see data on achievement initiative (06/19/12) Cape Girardeau School Board members want to see evidence of how the district's graduation rate is being helped by a student achievement initiative now modeled at the high school and slated to go districtwide in the next school year. Board members requested that administrators gather and present data relating to the district's graduation rate at the board's next regular meeting...