VO-TECH FUNDING STILL NEEDS BOOST TO GET HOUSE APPROVAL

There is welcome news from the Missouri Senate: The full $3.15 million in funding for construction of a new vocational-technical school in Cape Girardeau has been approved in that chamber. It was included in the massive $3.5 billion budget of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Unfortunately, Senate approval doesn't guarantee smooth sailing in the House. The appropriation has already hit a few snags in that side of the General Assembly. Eventually, both versions will be hammered out in conference committee.

The House, and eventually the conference committee, should keep in mind that Gov. Mel Carnahan included the entire $3.15 million in his proposed budget. Carnahan has been an avid proponent of increased vocational-technical training in Missouri as a way to attract new jobs and better prepare students for tomorrow's high-tech careers.

But the most compelling selling point should be the fact that Cape Girardeau voters overwhelmingly approved the public school bond issue April 1. That means the local portion of the vo-tech building is locked in.

In the past, impassioned local support has been a deciding factor in securing state funding. Such was the case with the Show Me Center. Sen. Peter Kinder said the recent "Yes" vote on the school bonds indeed helped clinch the full Senate support.

Meanwhile, school board members are proceeding with plans for construction of both the vo-tech school and new elementary building. The board this week approved the sale of $14 million in bonds for school improvements.

If the full amount cannot be obtained this year from the Legislature, perhaps a compromise would be an assurance of the full amount with payment spread out over two years. This appropriation is crucial to building a 90,000-square-foot vo-tech school that will serve the entire region well into the next century. This regional reach is another real benefit to this project.

Cape Girardeau's vocational school not only serves a number of high schools, it provides training to employers throughout the region. That kind of hands-on service -- both education and practical training -- should not go unnoticed by the Legislature.