SCHOOL PROPOSAL EXPLAINED; OFFICIALS HOLD FIRST OF THREE PUBLIC MEETINGS

The first of three community meetings offered answers to questions about the Cape Girardeau School District's master plan and upcoming ballot issues.

The meeting, held Monday night at May Greene Elementary School, drew about 20 people who wanted to learn more about the school district's proposal.

Another meeting will be held tonight at 7 at Washington Elementary School; a third meeting is planned March 10 at 7 p.m. at Central Junior High School.

Also on March 10, a special Board of Education meeting is planned for noon at the school board office, 61 N. Clark, to approve a site for a proposed vocational-technical school. Superintendent Dan Tallent said the school district is in the final phases of negotiations for property.

The school district has been looking for 80 acres on which to build a vocational-technical school and eventually a high school.

At Monday's community meeting, Tallent said his goal is to provide answers to any questions voters have.

In addition to the community meetings, an answering machine has been set up to take questions. A school official will return calls with answers. The phone numbers are 334-2816 or 334-2817.

"Each year you should ask us for accountability: how much money did we collect and how we spent every dollar?" said Tallent.

The master plan is laid out in enough detail that an accounting will be possible, he said.

The master plan was developed over a year with input from community meetings. It is divided into three sections -- programs, facilities and finance.

"The programs are most important," Tallent said. "The facilities and finances allow us to provide those programs."

Tallent outlined all three parts of the master plan and talked about the upcoming funding propositions.

On April 1, voters will be asked to approve the sale of $14 million in bonds and to waive the Proposition C rollback. The two measures would result in a 69-cent per $100 assessed valuation tax increase.

The money would fund construction of the vocational-technical school, an elementary school and renovations at other school buildings. May Greene and Washington elementary schools would be closed.

A second phase would include construction of a high school. The junior high would become a fifth-sixth-grade center. The high school would become a seventh-eighth-grade center.

Those attending asked questions about possible added costs of transporting students under the plan. Tallent said final calculations haven't been made, but 80 percent of transportation costs are reimbursed by the state, so added costs shouldn't be high.

One person asked if it was economically feasible to air condition school buildings for the two months or so that air conditioning is needed. Tallent responded that in the future it is likely that the school year will be extended, perhaps even through the summer for some students. He said the cost of air conditioning buildings is high.

The estimate for putting air conditioning at the current high school building is $2 million.

"I guess each one of us has to decide if it's worth it," Tallent said.

The superintendent also said that the school district would find a buyer or use for the closed school buildings. If they can't, the buildings would be razed and the property turned into parkland.