SCHOOL BOARD SHOWED LEADERSHIP IN DECISION

A good leader must be able to make tough decisions. At the same time, elected officials should be responsive to their constituency. The challenge is to reconcile public wants with the resources at hand.

The Cape Girardeau Board of Education met this challenge Wednesday. Amid concerns about leadership at Washington School, the board reassigned Richard Bollwerk, director of elementary education, to also serve as Washington's principal. The move represents a workable compromise. We applaud the decision.

Concerns arose after the board voted to eliminate an elementary principal. It was part of $1.2 million in budget cuts approved last month.

While the administration and board made assurances that the school would be adequately administered, parents were legitimately worried that Washington would be without the same level of leadership as the other elementary schools. A retirement at Franklin, and transfer request by Washington's current principal to Franklin created the opening at Washington.

Thankfully, the board realizes that this is not a long-term solution. Bollwerk will begin the 1992-93 school year at Washington School. Hopefully, improved school finances will allow the district to return a full-time principal to Washington as soon as possible. That still remains the optimum solution.

When Bollwerk must be away from school on director of elementary education duties, a veteran teacher with administrative training, Barbara Blanchard, has been named to serve as principal. This move also makes good sense. Blanchard's appointment will ensure the school will not be without a leader.

Washington's PTA is seeking assurance that Bollwerk would be in the building at least 60 percent of the time. Superintendent Neyland Clark told parents it would be that much, if not more. That's reassuring. Bollwerk's daily presence in the building is important. Administering the school from the central office would simply not work.

Bollwerk himself is a key to the success of this arrangement. He is no stranger to Washington School, serving as its principal before his appointment as director of elementary education. As such, he's familiar with the school's strengths and weaknesses. This knowledge will assist him in running the school equitably while juggling his other duties. This same arrangement might not have worked as well for someone unfamiliar with the school. Bollwerk was a good principal at Washington, and parents and staff should welcome his return. In addition to being the principal, he's also the guy in charge. There's something to be said about going to the top.

Board President Pat Ruopp stressed that the board's action should not be viewed as a retraction of a cut. His point is well taken. Hundreds of cuts were made, and board members understandably do not want to reconsider each and every one.

But the board's action represents a good balance. Members made a tough choice in that a position was eliminated, but they tempered any harm by reassigning Bollwerk. Leading is not always easy, especially in times of tight finances. But the Cape Girardeau Board of Education exhibited good leadership in this matter. They made the best of a bad situation. The board's action should serve Washington School and our district well during the coming year.