GROUP PRESENTS PETITIONS TO CITY SCHOOL BOARD

More than 1,000 Cape Girardeau School District patrons signed petitions that were delivered to school board members Tuesday expressing dissatisfaction with Superintendent Neyland Clark.

A group called "Concerned Citizens for Education" collected 1,083 signatures within 17 days. Spokesman Amy Randol said signatures will continue to be collected, but the group wanted to make sure board members had petitions to take to their retreat this weekend. The board meets Friday and Saturday in St. Louis for its annual planning session. School board members are scheduled to evaluate Clark's performance during a closed meeting Saturday.

Board President Ed Thompson said the petitions, along with other notes and letters sent by school patrons, will be considered by board members as they evaluate the superintendent's performance. Thompson said personal notes written to him may carry more weight than a signature on a petition in his evaluation.

Randol said she was pleased with the number of signatures, gathered primarily through a word-of-mouth campaign. She said she was disturbed by the number of people who didn't sign petitions, saying they feared retaliation.

The group delivered two letters to board members along with the petitions. One explained that the signatures are designed as a barometer of the public's feelings about the school system's leadership.

The other letter denied allegations by Clark and some board members that the National Education Association might be behind the petition drive.

"I guess we wait to see what happens at their retreat and what the outcome is," Randol said.

On Friday, the board will receive training from the Missouri School Boards Association. Among topics: exercising board leadership, board questions, policy and dealing with the media.

On Saturday, school administrators will talk with board members about other issues facing the district.

The school board on Wednesday holds its August business meeting.