SCHOOL BOARD EXHIBITS FISCAL SENSE, FLEXIBILITY

There's a lot of talk about balancing budgets these days. This balancing act at the national level won't come without much pain, but it will bring financial stability to the country. The same can be said at the local level for the Cape Girardeau Public Schools.

The board this week approved a balanced budget for the 1992-93 school year. A retirement incentive program and a $1.2 million budget reduction package adopted last year made this balanced budget possible.

We laud the board for its financial prudence. The cuts included: a reduction in the number of teachers and assistants; discontinued summer school; increased class sizes; loss of some swimming instruction; elimination of a half-time band instructor; discontinuation of driver's education and Saturday school; and loss of other programs and staff.

The board made tough choices in cutting programs but did what was needed for the overall district budget. That's the kind of leadership from which our national politicians could take a lesson.

In the new budget, expenditures equal receipts in the teachers and incidental funds the two major areas of the district budget. That's in contrast to just a year ago, when the district expended $1.1 million more than it brought in.

But while the board stuck by its guns in trimming the program, members weren't inflexible. At first it appeared reductions in the transportation program would force hundreds more children to walk to school every day. But efficiencies were increased, and the numbers of students transported remained about the same.

In addition, the board reviewed elimination of a principal at Washington School, and this week returned the position to full-time status. Director of Elementary Education Richard Bollwerk had been working as part-time principal at Washington. But the part-time principal situation turned out to be less than ideal. This week, the board named Barbara Blanchard as interim principal.

The school board also acted on the recommendation of the New Funds committee, which listed reinstatement of the principal as a top priority. Parents and staff had also lobbied for a full-time principal. Filling the position after the school year began saved part of the salary; that coupled with payment of some back taxes will enable the district to pay for the position.

We welcome the return of a full-time principal at Washington. Each elementary school deserves a full-time leader with time and foresight to act upon today's demands as well as plan for tomorrow. We are also glad to see that one of the two Parents as Teachers educators lost may be replaced.

Of course, these changes should only be made if the district can pay the bill. A five-year financial outlook report, now being prepared, should help the district find ways to pay for these priorities. We are confident the board will proceed with the same fiscal prudence displayed this year. The balanced budget reflects good fiscal sense; the reinstatements indicate flexibility, both measures of good leadership.