OFFICIALS OPEN LOCAL CENSUS OFFICE0

Ashley Carter, a 12-year-old student, knows about the census and how important it is.

"The census serves a vital statistical database that tells us who we are, and where we are going as a nation," said Carter, a seventh-grade student at Kelly Middle School near Benton.

Carter was guest speaker at the grand opening of the Cape Girardeau census office Monday where she told more than 60 area officials that the census helps communities determine where to build everything from schools to supermarkets and from homes to hospitals.

"Resources to improve children's educaiton and provide for their safety can only go where they are needed if we know where our children are," said Carter. "We can't proclaim that our children count if we're not willing to count them accurately."

Carter's words were from an essay she prepared on the census that is conducted every decade.

Carter's theme was echoed a number of times during the grand opening of the census office at 2751 Thomas Drive.

Speakers included Ellen Brandom, local census office manager; Cape Girardeau Mayor Al Spradling III; Lloyd Smith, chief of staff for Rep. Jo Ann Emerson; Ryan Burson, Missouri state demographer; Cathy Lacy, assistant regional census manager of the Kansas City region; and Carter.

In attendance were state Sen. Peter Kinder and state Rep. Peter Myers. Also present were a number of other census officials, including Sharon G. Bunge, area census manager; city and county officials from a wide area, including Cape Girardeau, Scott City and Perryville.

"We represent an area of 31 Southeast Missouri counties," said Brandom. "This is one of nine census offices in the state."

Brandom said the office was in the process of recruitment now.

"We'll eventually have about 60 to 80 people working in this office, and about 1,500 in the 31-county field," she said, adding that help may be hard to find, with low unemployment throughout the area.

An accurate count is important, stressed Spradling and Smith.

"We want to make sure everybody is counted," said Spradling. A number of programs depend on population figures.

"The census means a great deal now-a-days," echoed Smith. At one time in history, the census just meant counting folks to see how many people there were in certain areas.

"Now, house representation and a lot of funding depends on the population," said Smith. Some "600,000 people are needed to keep a representative seat."

Smith and other speakers emphasized the "confidentiality" of the census.

"All of the information in the census is kept confidential," emphasized Smith, Lacy and Burson.

"The census forms are more streamlined this year," said Burson. "They're easier to fill in."

Five of every six people will receive the "short" form, which can be filled out in 10 minutes. The remaining one of six will receive a longer form, which may take 35 to 40 minutes to fill in."

"Don't leave the form blank," urged Carter in her essay and talk.

"The accuracy of the 2000 census has significant implications for the education of the nation's schoolchildren."

Not only does the census provide the U.S. Department of Education with the most comprehensive data on school enrollment and educational attainment, but school district boundaries and funding for many education programs are based on the census figures, said Carter.

"A fair and accurate census is critical to modernizing the nation's schools, reducing class size, and putting a qualified teacher in every classroom," she said.

"An inaccurate census means schoolchildren most in need continue getting less than their schools deserve," she added.