STATE FUNDING IS CRITICAL FOR TWO KEY PROJECTS

The annual unveiling of the state budget contained some good news and some not-so-good news for Cape Girardeau. First, the good news: In the proposed budget was the full balance -- some $11.95 million -- of the state's share of funding for Southeast Missouri State University's River Campus.

With that amount coming on the heels of last year's $4.6 million from the state, and with city contributions and the promise of plenty of private funding in the offing, it appears the financing is in place for this ambitious project. This is good because it promises significant outreach to minorities and revitalization of a depressed Cape neighborhood. Moreover, few, if any, such state projects can boast a dollar-for-dollar match of local and private funding.

It's clear that, as before with Southeast projects such as Dempster Hall, we're more than paying our way. Local legislators will work to retain this funding in the final bill that will pass both houses of the General Assembly in early May.

As for the not-so-good news, it appears that a snafu at the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education knocked out funding for the state's last share of funding for the Cape Girardeau Area Career and Technology Center. At stake is $1.8 million in funding for the vocational center under construction by the Cape Girardeau School District. Assurances had been given by an official at DESE to local legislators that the funding would be included. Still, when the budget was unveiled Jan. 19, it wasn't there.

DESE officials have since acknowledged their error in writing and have pledged to work to include the money in the supplemental appropriations bill now moving through the Legislature. Said Shari LePage, DESE's budget director, "We are trying to get it back in because it is a valid request."

With support from key lawmakers and the state's history of funding half of these projects, with fingers crossed, school officials should be able to count on this money.