Confusion regarding a previous decision of the Cape Girardeau Board of Education sparked debate regarding the elimination of a second preparation period for secondary teachers during a four-hour board meeting Monday night.

In other business, board members late in the night approved salary schedules for teachers and classified staff that will place them where they would have been on the schedule without the salary freeze enacted last year. Board members also tabled approval of the 2000-2001 school calendar because the incorrect calendar was placed in board informational packets.

During a segment of the meeting when past meeting minutes are considered, board member Dr. Bob Fox questioned the wording of a plan to phase in the elimination of second preparation periods for teachers at Schultz and Central junior and high schools.

Fox said the wording of the plan in the minutes indicates only probationary and nontenured teachers would be affected by the plan. However, it was his understanding that several board members thought the intent of the plan was to eliminate the second preparation period completely after three years for all secondary teachers.

The plan, as it was worded in the board minutes submitted by board secretary Dr. Steve Del Vecchio, states: "... to adopt a phase-in program to eliminate the second preparation period at the secondary level by assigning a sixth teaching period to all probationary and new teachers ... The phase-in process will begin in the 1999-2000 school year and will be completed by the 2003-2004 school year."

Mark Carver, David Goncher and board president Dr. Ferrell Ervin said they were under the impression the plan affected all secondary teachers. The district would not save any money under an elimination plan that excluded tenured teachers, they said.

Board member Bob Blank said the exclusion of tenured teachers from the elimination plan also set up an unfair system that includes three classes of secondary teachers.

"Where's the fairness in that?" asked Carver during the meeting.

At one point during the meeting, a motion to reconsider the elimination plan during Monday's meeting was offered despite protests from Fox that the decision should be made at a later date because "this affects more than half our teachers." After consulting twice with district attorney Joseph Russell, the motion was withdrawn. Board members will consider the item during the May meeting.