VO-TECH SCHOOL FUNDING IN STATE BUDGET PROPOSAL

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Money to cover part of the state's share of construction of Cape Girardeau's new vocational school is included in one of several budget bills the General Assembly sent to the governor Wednesday.

Of the 12 measures that make up the $19 billion state budget for fiscal year 2002, 11 have cleared the House of Representatives. Of those, the Senate has forwarded eight to the governor. Lawmakers are constitutionally required to finish the budget by the end of the day Friday.

Included in the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's budget is $832,000 for the Cape Girardeau School District's Career and Technology Center.

Last year, the district requested $1.8 million from the state for the project. Authorization for $1 million is included in the state's construction budget for the current fiscal year, which ends June 30. However, that money has not been released because of a variety of reasons, the latest being a concern of Gov. Bob Holden's that the funds might be needed to fill a shortfall in this year's budget.

The appropriation approved Wednesday shouldn't face a similar hold up.

The district has had to dip into its budget reserves to cover the state's share for construction of the school, which was completed in March.

Senate President Pro Tem Peter Kinder, R-Cape Girardeau, said he spoke with the governor Wednesday and asked him to release the other $1 million.

If that doesn't happen, there is a fallback position: The money was reappropriated in the biennial construction budget that covers fiscal years 2002 and 2003. That bill cleared the House and awaits Senate action.

Other Southeast Missouri projects affected by the funding freeze and included in the reappropriation bill are Southeast Missouri State University's River Campus, $11.95 million; the university's Kennett Learning Center, $150,000; and the Poplar Bluff vocational school, $750,000.

Another budget item of area interest included in the DESE appropriation earmarks $550,000 for literacy programs offered by Southeast.

Also headed to the governor is the Department of Higher Education appropriation bill, which includes Southeast's operating budget.

The university will get more than $50.6 million for fiscal year 2002, an increase of approximately $183,000 over the current fiscal year. However, Southeast's budget is nearly $4.9 million less than the university requested.