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Opponents of a proposed $350 million bond issue for Wichita schools urged board members Monday to drop the proposal until a new superintendent is hired and until officials can show how proposed improvements would raise student achievement.

"The bulk of the money in the 2008 proposal is to be spent for new facilities and facility improvements," said Helen Cochran, spokeswoman for Citizens for Better Education, which opposes the bond.

"Little is said about the flat test scores and the high dropout rates."

Board members had invited representatives of two bond-opponent groups to speak to the board Monday. Last month, the board held a special meeting to hear concerns from Citizens Alliance for Responsible Education, or CARE, which supports the bond issue.

The board voted in April to delay the bond vote, originally scheduled for May 6, to allow supporters more time to campaign. The bond election is slated for "no later than Nov. 4," but the board has not set a date.

Lisa Fuson wants to be a therapist at a community health center.

Kiley Randolph wants to teach grade school.

Nigora Yakubova wants to be a school principal.

Saturday, they were among more than 1,000 area students who said goodbye to their college careers in commencement ceremonies for Newman University and Friends University.

Newman kicked off the college graduation season with a ceremony for its 349 candidates Saturday morning at Central Community Church.

School: South High School

Activities: In addition to taking advanced placement and honors classes, Bryce completed a Red Cross training course to become a peer mentor with Teens Hope, a group that visits middle schools to talk to kids about HIV and AIDS. He also has volunteered at Harry Hynes Memorial Hospice.

Accomplishments: Glenda Buche, a South High English teacher, says Bryce is "someone who at some point will make a phenomenal discovery.... He loves to read, loves to question. And he's so understated and unassuming."

Future plans: He plans to attend the University of Kansas and major in chemical engineering. He is considering a career in medicine, possibly opening a clinic in south Wichita, where he grew up, "since we don't have many practices on the south side."

Interesting fact: Bryce said he owes a lot to his high school instructors, particularly science teacher Kelly Owens, who now teaches at Campus High School in Haysville. "Ms. Owens could make anything interesting, even electron configuration," he said. "She's the best teacher you'd ever find."

A chemistry teacher calls her "phenomenal."

A school counselor describes her as "the hardest working, most motivated student I've ever seen."

Classmates say she's quiet, funny and super-smart.

But ask Ngoc Trang Nguyen how she went from non-English-speaking immigrant to East High valedictorian in four years, and she gives a shy grin.

"I work hard," she said. "I must do this, because I am a slow learner."

School: Bishop Carroll Catholic High School

Activities: Andy was a member of Bishop Carroll's bowling team and earned the team's Most Outstanding Bowler award along with his letter. He also has competed in Special Olympics -- basketball, bowling and track -- since age 8, and works as a an office aide at school.

Accomplishments: Andy was born with Down syndrome, a genetic condition that causes physical and cognitive problems. His parents "decided right away that he would write his own book," said Andy's mom, Kathy. With help from teachers, para-professionals, family and friends, Andy completed his course work and will graduate with his class this month.

Future plans: He plans to attend Chisholm Life Skills Center, a vocational training center in Wichita.

Interesting fact: For three years, Andy has worked Saturday afternoons as a busboy at a local Mexican restaurant, where "he pulls in more tips than anybody you've ever known," said Kathy Johansen. "He's Mr. Popular."

It's a great year to be a Wichita college graduate.

Wichita companies are hiring them at a rapid clip, although demand in some fields is stronger than others.

The hottest majors include engineering, teaching, accounting, nursing and other health professions, and geology.

That's not the case nationally, as a cooling economy and damaged financial sector have slowed growth in college hiring, according to a national employee survey.

But that doesn't seem to be the case here, said David Gaston, director of University Career Services at the University of Kansas.

School: The Independent School

Activities: Claudia, who spent her early years in South Africa, speaks four languages -- Afrikaans, German, English and Spanish. She has taught English to Spanish-speaking parents at Hamilton Middle School and volunteered as a translator in the emergency room at Via Christi Medical Center-St. Joseph Campus.

Accomplishments: Claudia went from speaking little English in eighth grade to scoring a 5 -- the top score -- on the Advanced Placement English Language test her junior year. She is a state champion in tennis and Scholars Bowl but is most proud of her community service. With a church group, she helped rebuild Slidell, La., after Hurricane Katrina. She also helped organize a baby shower for the Gerard House in Wichita.

Future plans: Claudia will volunteer at a hospital in Ecuador this summer. After that, she will attend Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, where she earned early admission to medical school. Eventually, she hopes to work with Doctors Without Borders.

Interesting fact: When Claudia was 3, her father got a grant to work in the United States. "It was cheaper to fly around the world than to take a direct flight (to Chicago), so we took the long way around" from South Africa, she said. They stopped in Singapore, Taiwan, Hawaii and Germany.