REGENTS APPROVE CONTRACT FOR SIKESTON CENTER

Southeast Missouri State University's Board of Regents approved a contract with the city of Sikeston over plans to build and operate a higher education center in the city's new industrial park.

The regents approved the contract in a telephone conference call Friday.

Dr. Dale Nitzschke, Southeast's president, is in Japan on a business trip. He wasn't involved in the meeting.

Don Dickerson, board president, met in Nitzschke's office in Academic Hall with Dr. Ken Dobbins, the school's executive vice president, and school attorney Joe Russell. The other regents participated by telephone.

Dickerson said the regents approved the contract, which previously had been approved by Sikeston officials.

Dickerson said the regents approved the contract at the special meeting so that Sikeston voters would have the details of the project in advance of Tuesday's tax measure.

Sikeston voters are being asked to approve a quarter-cent sales tax that would raise an estimated $3 million over six years to help fund construction of a higher education center.

Southeast hopes to build a $4.5 million center at Sikeston's new industrial park.

The state has allocated $1.5 million for the project, contingent upon a similar local match.

Civic leaders said approval of the tax measure would allow for construction of a larger center than originally anticipated.

The center would offer college classes and industrial training through a partnership with Southeast and Three Rivers Community College at Poplar Bluff.

The city of Sikeston has agreed to donate 25 acres as the site for the center. Southeast would operate the center.

Dickerson said the land is valued at about $200,000. It would count toward the local match needed to tap into state funding for the project, he said.