LETTERS; ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT AMERICORPS GRANT WERE INCORRECT

To the editor:

In your Aug. 8 editorial concerning Southeast Missouri State University's application to participate in the National Community Service Act (Americorps) you made some incorrect assumptions.

First, you assumed that anything other than the cost directly associated with participants living expense and education allowance goes to the university as exorbitant salaries to be divided up between the project director and other staff. The project director (myself) will only receive release time from some teaching duties to oversee the program and only minimal other staff will be hired to actually run the program. The actual administrative money the university will receive to operate this program is around $18,000, less than 5 percent of the total budget. The remaining funds are earmarked for training of participants, travel throughout the region, equipment, two full-time staff and graduate assistants.

The university has pursued this project only at the request of over 20 community agencies throughout the region. These agencies don't have the resources to be applicants themselves and we agreed to apply on their behalf. Southeast Missouri State will actually be paying over $75,000 in-kind matching funds and $30,000 in actual cash match to obtain this grant. Southeast Missouri State has a proud history of supporting community service projects throughout this region whenever and wherever possible. Our successful efforts with this funding will be bringing $390,000 of our taxpayers money back to this region along with an opportunity for 36 deserving individuals to earn a chance to go to college by investing in their communities.

JOHNNY MCGAHA

Americorps Project Director

Southeast Missouri State University