New middle school principal hired

The Cape Girardeau school board approved the hiring of a new principal for the middle school in closed session Monday night, ignoring the pleas of parents and students who petitioned the district to retain the current principal and assistant principal.

The board on a 5-to-1 vote hired Mark Kiehne, currently principal of the middle school in the Kelly School District at Benton, Mo. Kiehne previously taught sixth-grade math in the Jackson School District.

"He possesses excellent leadership skills," Cape Girardeau schools superintendent Dr. David Scala said after the closed-door decision. "He is well thought of by the staff and the people he works with at his current school."

Scala recommended the hiring of Kiehne, who was chosen from among six finalists. More than 20 people applied for the position.

Kiehne was hired on a one-year contract like all other principals in the district, Scala said.

Board member Charles Bertrand said after the closed meeting that he voted against hiring Kiehne because he thought board members weren't provided information on the other candidates for the job. "I don't feel comfortable with what is put in front of us to vote on," he said.

Bertrand said his vote wasn't meant as a criticism of Kiehne.

Scala said Kiehne will participate in the selection of a new assistant principal.

The board action followed an open session at which nearly a dozen parents, school district residents and students showed up to plead with the school board to retain Central Middle School principal Frank Ellis and assistant principal Debbie Followell. Their contracts are not being renewed.

Only three of the Ellis and Followell supporters spoke to the board. The board members did not respond to the group's plea.

Board president Steven Trautwein said the school board wouldn't discuss the situation with the Ellis and Followell supporters. "A meeting in public is not a meeting with the public," Trautwein said.

Mary Jackson, a parent of two middle school children, presented a petition to the school board signed by more than 600 people asking the board to reconsider its decision to fire Ellis and Followell.

The board, acting upon the recommendation of the superintendent, voted in April to replace Ellis and Followell.

In a Dec. 7 letter to Ellis, Scala and assistant superintendent Pat Fanger cited five main problems: Poor communication with teachers and parents, inconsistent discipline, lack of instructional leadership, failure to address assistant principal issues and failure to perform principal duties such as parent/teacher conferences.

The Southeast Missourian received the letter anonymously.

Jackson told the board that Ellis and Followell should be retained.

"Please keep them over there," said Jackson, who contends that the middle school principal and assistant principal have done a good job running the school. "I feel Mr. Ellis should stay," said Jackson's son, Darius Whitney. "He comes out and plays soccer and basketball with the kids."

Vera Sterling, whose sixth-grade daughter attended the middle school, urged the board to reconsider their decision.

"Give him another chance," she said. "Everybody deserves a second chance."

In other action, the school board voted 5 to 1 to allow the Boys and Girls Club of Cape Girardeau to house its programs and office at Central Junior High School free of charge. The club will relocate to unused space in the junior high school and an adjacent metal building.

Board member Laura Sparkman cast the lone dissenting vote after expressing concern that the club wasn't going to pay part of the utility and maintenance costs.

Scala said the agreement serves the district as well as the club, which provides after-school programs for students.

The school board also on a 5-1 vote authorized Scala to obtain proposals from architects and/or facility development specialists to provide plans and cost estimates for five major construction projects.

Bertrand voted against seeking proposals. After the open session, Bertrand said school officials needed to do more internal planning before seeking proposals from an outside firm.

Trautwein argued during the meeting that the board needs cost estimates before it can decide whether to proceed with any of the major projects. "We said we wanted to get hard and fast information," he said.

Scala recommended the board seek planning proposals for five projects: Renovation of the Central administration building to house the Alternative Education Center, renovation of the junior high school including metal buildings south of the field house parking lot, as well as three major construction projects at the high school.

The high school projects include construction of concession stands, seating and lighting for the athletic fields, construction of an auditorium on the east end of the high school, and the addition of four classrooms on the south end of the building.

In other business, the board officially accepted the resignation of board member Sharon Mueller, who didn't participate in Monday's meeting. Mueller resigned because she and her husband are moving to St. Louis.

School officials announced that persons interested in filling the unexpired term on the board must submit a letter to the school board office in the central administration building by June 4 at 5 p.m.

School board members said they plan to discuss the applicants at a meeting on June 11. The board expects to interview finalists in open session June 18 before the regular board meeting.

Scala said it could be July before the board appoints someone to serve on the board until the April election.

mbliss@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 123