INCUMBENTS ELECTED TO AREA SCHOOL BOARDS

JACKSON -- Incumbents reclaimed more than half of the school board seats available during Cape Girardeau County elections Tuesday.

In all, five incumbents were elected to fill available positions on Jackson, Delta, Nell Holcomb and Oak Ridge boards of education. Two, three-year positions were available in each of the school districts.

Six candidates, including incumbent Jeanette Bollinger, competed for positions on the Jackson Board of Education. Winning the election were Gerald L. Adams and Jeanette Bollinger, who received 31.6 and 23.92 percent of all votes, respectively.

Final results of the election were: Adams, 1,031 votes; Bollinger, 778 votes; Chris N. Weiss, 587 votes; Connie J. Wilson, 266 votes; Kay Hendrix, 256 votes; Charla Myers, 224 votes; and Rhonda Faye McClanahan, 111 votes.

Bollinger will begin her eighth year and third full term on the board. She was originally appointed to the school board to complete an unexpired term. She looks forward to seeing the opening of several recent construction projects in the school district, as well as continuing to meet the challenges the growing district will face in the future.

"I'm real excited," she said. "We'll have the opening of our new math and science building and the new South Elementary School in the fall, and that will be an exciting time for us. We've also got lots to do in the future with our continued growth, gifted program and improving our ability to meet the vocational needs of our students."

Adams, who was unsuccessful in a school board competition last year, said the increased advertising by school board candidates likely improved voter turnout for the election.

"I know we ran real hard this time and knew we had to," he said. "I think we helped in the overall turnout of votes."

In Delta, incumbent Keith Cook was re-elected to the school board, along with newcomer Mike Reiminger. Karen Fornkahl and Debra Followell were elected to positions on the Nell Holcomb Board of Education. Both were incumbents.

Oak Ridge voters re-elected Bob Eisenhauer, who begin his eighth term in office. Also elected was newcomer Roger Thomas.

Cape Girardeau County voters supported Constitutional Amendment No. 3, which would allow Kansas City's board of education to set the operating levy up to a rate of $4.95 per $100 assessed valuation. Kansas City residents already pay this amount as part of a desegregation case court order.

A total of 4,551 yes votes and 989 no votes were received on the amendment.

County voters also approved Constitutional Amendment No. 4, which sets maximum bonding capacity for school districts, by a 3,961 to 1,383 margin. The amendment will allow school districts to set up to 15 percent of the value of taxable tangible property in the district, with voter approval. About 13 percent of registered voters turned out.