After nine years of serving at-risk students from local high schools, the Cape Girardeau Alternative Education Center is losing financial ground.

This year, the program took $210,000 in hits from its three main grant funding sources, leaving the cash-strapped Cape Girardeau School District to make up the difference.

With $2.2 million to eliminate from the district's $35 million budget by January 2004, school officials say programs such as the AEC tend to stand out on the long list of possible cuts.

"When a program loses funding in a time of budget crisis, that sends up a red flag," said Rob Huff, the district's chief financial officer.

The district also lost money for technology and textbooks this year -- around $130,000 in grant money -- that had to be replaced with operating funds.

"But I don't think that will be the only criteria for cutting a program. We have to look at what will do the least damage to students," Huff said.

Superintendent Mark Bowles said the school district isn't singling out the AEC as something that will be eliminated.

"Everything is on the table for possible cuts," Bowles said.

School administrators, teachers and community members will meet at the board office at 301 N. Clark today for the first time as a newly formed budget task force to begin studying the district's finances.

The task force has been charged with making recommendations for $2.2 million worth of cuts to the school board by December. The school board is scheduled to vote on those recommendations by January.

The AEC has served students from Cape Girardeau, Bollinger and Perry counties for the past nine years.

In that time period, the school has grown from 12 to 72 students a year, and has presented 100 diplomas to students AEC officials say might not have graduated without the program.

"I truly feel that my program is such that if we don't pay for it now, we'll be paying for it later," said AEC director Mike Dorris. "But I understand that when times get tough, everything has to be evaluated."

Dorris said he's applying for other federal, state and school foundation grants in hopes of finding additional funding.

He is one of around 80 people serving on the task force. Dorris said his concern isn't any greater than other school employees right now.

cclark@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 128