Parents of some 200 children attending Cape Girardeau public schools are deciding whether they want their children to remain next fall at the school they currently attend.

After months of debate, the Cape Girardeau Board of Education established elementary school boundaries earlier this month that slightly modified the original plan adopted in 1997. Under the proposal, most school boundaries will remain the same as in the original proposal, with the most significant changes affecting Jefferson and Franklin schools.

Building principals now are displaying maps in their offices indicating the new boundaries that become effective in August. The maps also detail building assignments for families who live along border streets.

Despite some discussion on the subject, board members chose not to make a decision on whether to have a grandfather clause that would allow affected students to continue attending classes in their current enrollment centers. Instead, they asked school administrators to collect data regarding the matter from families of fourth-, fifth- and sixth-graders. The matter will then be considered during the May 17 board meeting.

Assistant superintendent David Giles said he mailed surveys last week to more than 200 families of students scheduled to move to determine their level of interest in a grandfather clause. He said he had received fewer than 10 responses by Tuesday afternoon. However, some parents may have given their responses to building principals, who will then forward them to the board office, said Giles.

"I asked the parents to respond really quickly on this so that I could compile for the board the depth that people would like to take advantage of this," Giles said. "I included all the kids currently in kindergarten through fifth grade, even though the board may entertain only one or several or none of these grades."

Giles said it is unclear how many parents will actually respond to the surveys. Some people will always believe they were uninformed on an issue, while others may believe the issue has already been decided or will not affect them, he said.

The only thing that is guaranteed is the parents whose children will be affected have been informed, because the surveys were mailed directly to the homes rather than relying upon children to deliver them, Giles said.

"That's all I can do," he said. "The rest is in the hands of the board."