NEW SCHOOL BOARD HEAD PRAISES VOTE

Members of Cape Girardeau's Board of Education elected Dr. R. Ferrell Ervin president of the board and Terry Taylor vice president at a special meeting Monday night.

Ervin said the board is heading down a road paved by community involvement and voter approval following the April 1 election.

The first step down that road is sale of $14 million in bonds for school improvements approved by voters. At Monday's meeting, the board gave A.G. Edwards authority to sell the bonds.

The sale of bonds will begin Monday. Local investors have an opportunity to purchase the tax exempt bonds, which will be sold in $5,000 increments. Potential investors should contact a stock broker for information this week.

Bob Fox and David Goncher, who were elected April 1, officially took their seats on the board Monday. Members of the board are elected by voters to three-years terms. Officers of the board are selected by the members.

Ervin said: "We've really set the pace for what we want to accomplish. The community agreed. Now we need to continue down that path.

"Although we've worked hard to get to this point, the next few years will be filled with a lot of work also," Ervin said. "We must live up to the commitments we have made. We have established a policy of opening all the windows and doors and asking people to take a look at what we are doing. We hope they will watch and let us know what they think."

Ervin takes over as president from Fox. Fox served as president of the board during tumultuous changes in leadership and then the planning process that led to the April 1 win at the polls. But he said he was glad to step aside as board president.

"It's time someone else took over," Fox said. "Ferrell was vice president this last year and it seems a natural that he take over as president."

Goncher, who participated in his first meeting Monday, said the board seems headed in a straight path toward growth. The first step is sale of bonds.

"Our job is to make sure it's handled prudently," Goncher said. "We told people what we were going to do with the money; now we have to follow through."

Goncher takes over the seat vacated by Harry Rediger, who didn't seek re-election.

Rediger was first appointed to the school board by the Cape Girardeau County Commission after three board members resigned. He was elected to a one-year term on the board.

"It was such a thrill to see those votes come in," Rediger said. "I think the school district is in for a great future."

Ervin also appointed board members to serve on standing committees. Goncher and Steve Wright will serve on the policy committee. Bob Blank and Taylor will serve on the buildings and grounds committee. The Rev. William Bird and Ervin will serve on the community relations committee. Fox and Bird will serve on the legislative committee.

A finance committee was disbanded. Superintendent Dan Tallent said the committee isn't needed because its job has been to review financial data that is given to all board members.