BOARD VIEWS SUNDAY ACTIVITIES

The Cape Girardeau Board of Education will consider a recommendation to rescind its Sunday practice policy.

The board will meet Monday at 4:30 p.m. at 61 N. Clark. A closed session is planned at the start of the meeting. The board is also scheduled to discuss the upcoming school board election.

Superintendent Neyland Clark explained that the recommendation to rescind the Sunday policy was prompted by a request from athletic coaches.

"When they have a Monday ball game, the coaches would like to be able to practice on Sunday," Clark said.

The current policy requires prior approval from the school board before any school activities can be held on Sunday.

Clark said administrators are recommending that a new procedure be put in place that would require a coach or other activity sponsor to get approval from the director of athletics or other appropriate administrator to schedule a Sunday activity.

"We feel we have people competent enough to make those decisions without having to bring every single request to the board," Clark said.

"This way the band could march in a Sunday parade or the drama department could schedule a rehearsal on Sunday without having to come to the board first."

Clark said the proposed procedure would require that students have at least one day off during the week if they participate on Sunday.

Other items on the agenda are reports from Clark about Project Partnership and the upcoming Jan. 23 educational summit, budget cuts, updating the board policy manual, discussing about the vocational school tuition rates, a report from the school facilities committee, and a report about the school calendar.