OFFICIALS PLEASED WITH STATE APPROPRIATION FOR SOUTHEAST

Ken Dobbins was ecstatic about Missouri's new $12.3 billion budget, which provides increased funding for Southeast Missouri State University.

As executive vice president and chief financial officer for the school, Dobbins has been used to bad-news budgets since coming here three years ago.

But the budget, approved Thursday by Gov. Mel Carnahan, provides a significant hike in state funding for the university, as well as money for some major capital improvements on the Cape Girardeau campus.

"We are very pleased with what Southeast was given in the budget which was signed by the governor, and we appreciate the governor's efforts and the legislature's efforts," said Dobbins.

The state budget includes a $34.7 million appropriation for Southeast, about a 5.3 percent increase over last year, he said.

But with 3 percent of state appropriations routinely withheld, Southeast will receive state funding of about $33.6 million for general operations.

The general operations funding hike for Southeast includes a "formula increase" of nearly $1 million for such things as cost-of-living adjustments, Dobbins said.

Southeast also received a $357,000 increase in the base budget for the Bootheel Education Center at Malden.

The budget includes $342,000 for regular maintenance and repair work.

On the capital side, more than $1.26 million has been budgeted by the state for renovations and one-time maintenance and repair projects.

Included in the budget is $663,400 for classroom renovations to the Parker Building. That work is expected to be done this summer.

In addition to the regular capital appropriations, $12.3 million has been budgeted for construction of a business building. But the funding's dependent upon Missouri voters approving a $250 million bond issue, Dobbins said.

In all, the bond package would provide $134.2 million for major renovations and construction of new facilities at four-year and two-year colleges and universities.

Dobbins said the whole budget picture for Southeast is vastly improved compared to previous years. "This is the best since I've been here."

He recalled that when he came to Southeast in the summer of 1991, the budget news was dire.

"I remember the first day I got here, we had to cut $1 million from the operating budget." Within a matter of a few months, the budget had been pared down by nearly $4 million, he said.

It's great not having to make any last-minute changes in the budget, Dobbins said. "That's very good, it's excellent."

Carnahan vetoed only $1,000 from the whole state budget.

Dobbins attributed the relatively smooth sailing to the fact that the governor and lawmakers worked together to iron out a budget.

"We could see when we went to Jefferson City that the administration was working very closely with the legislature to make sure that the numbers they were using were the same," said Dobbins.

"It makes a tremendous difference when they communicate with each other and cooperate and work as a team," he said. "When everybody is on the same song sheet, it is very good."