FOUR SEATS ARE OPEN AS CAPE SCHOOL BOARD FILING BEGINS

Cape Girardeau voters will choose four members for the Board of Education in April. Candidates can begin filing at 8 a.m. today.

Three seats are available for regular three-year terms, and a fourth seat is available for a one-year term.

One seat is held by Steve Wright, who was elected to the board three years ago. The other three seats are held by Harry Rediger, Bob Blank and Dr. C. John Ritter, who were appointed to the board in April by the Cape Girardeau County Commission.

Wright plans to seek re-election; Rediger hasn't made up his mind but is considering the one-year term; and Blank is undecided. Ritter was unavailable for comment.

Candidates have until 5 p.m. Jan. 30 to file at the district's central office, 61 N. Clark.

When candidates sign up they will specify if they are running for a three-year term or the one-year term.

Board members must be U.S. citizens, at least 24 years old and a Missouri resident and district taxpayer for one year preceding the election.

The election will be April 2.

Wright, with three years experience on the board, is the board's senior member. Following changes on the board and then changes in the administration, he thinks the school system is headed in the right direction.

"I hope to stay and build on that and build this school system," he said. "We can come in with a new superintendent and start over, keeping in mind what's important -- the kids."

Rediger said time constraints are causing him to think twice about seeking election.

"Possibly I would file for the one-year term," he said, "but I probably won't file for the three-year term."

Rediger coordinated the Vision Planning Committee's efforts this fall to collect public comments about what direction the school district should head. One of the concerns raised through the process was a lack of confidence in former Superintendent Neyland Clark. The board bought out the remaining 2 1/2 years of Clark's contract.

Rediger, who is interested in seeing that procedures for finding Clark's replacement are in place, said he plans to make a decision about seeking election within two weeks.

Blank said, "I haven't made my mind up. I've really enjoyed the few months I've been on the board. I think we've been working really well together."

Cape Girardeau voters have an extra seat to fill this spring due to a series of resignations over the past year. Board members John Campbell, Kathy Swan and Pat Ruopp all quit the board. Campbell and Swan would have faced re-election this spring. Ruopp still had another year on his term.

After the resignations of three board members, Missouri law required the Cape Girardeau County Commission to appoint three members to serve until the April election. In April when commissioners were accepting applications for board members, 31 people said they wanted the job.