MILLER RESIGNS AT PERRYVILLE; SCHOOL FINANCES A PROBLEM, HE SAYS

PERRYVILLE -- Dr. Rex Miller, superintendent of the Perryville School District, will resign from the district July 1.

His resignation announcement is the third from an area superintendent since August. Dr. Dan Tallent, superintendent of Cape Girardeau schools, and Dr. Howard Jones, superintendent of Jackson schools, also have tendered resignations effective next summer.

Miller, who is serving the last year of a three-year contract in the district, said he has no career plans in place but intends to search for another superintendency.

Miller announced his intention to school board members during a closed segment of a special board meeting Oct. 21. He said his resignation was a joint decision with the board.

He said: "I have the greatest respect for my board. My board and also myself came to the realization it would be in the best interest of the kids and myself to turn my resignation in now."

He said the district's financial problems were an on-going struggle throughout his tenure because the tax levy made it difficult to meet personnel, building and curriculum needs.

"This has been the toughest superintendency I've had due to the money factor," he said. "We've just been struggling here with a levy of $2.70, and it's been a real hard process these last two years."

The school board is developing a proposal it will present to voters to increase the levy. Work on the plan should continue if school officials hope to see any improvements, Miller said.

"I hope this situation changing superintendents does not hurt the plans," he said. "They still need to build, and they still need to raise the levy, and they've got one heck of a tough road ahead."

Miller, 53, has been an educator for 20 years, 14 as superintendent. He replaced superintendent Ron Fitch, who had been with the district five years.

He was the superintendent at the Osage County R-3 School District in Westphalia south of Jefferson City for four years prior to coming to Perryville. He formerly worked in the South Callaway and Wheaton school districts as superintendent and began his career as a high school history teacher in Indiana.

Miller and his wife, Kathleen, have three children.