Thanks to a Department of Elementary and Secondary Education 3-year technology network project, the Cape Girardeau Public School System has gained access to the computerized information superhighway.

During the past legislative session, the department received money to provide computer networking capability to the state's schools.

The objective of the project is to connect school districts to MOREnet-Internet through a dedicated connection within three years. The MOREnet-Internet base is the technology center at the University of Missouri at Columbia.

Such a connection will let schools have their own electronic mail service to and from the Internet World.

Larry Loos, a computer consultant who outlined a plan for a Cape Girardeau community information center called Show-Me net, said he hopes to one day link the two systems.

"A partnership would be attractive for both the Cape Girardeau Public Schools and Show-Me Net," Loos said. "We could provide information to the community about school board agendas or anything else they would wish to make public. They are not able to provide that service."

However, Bill Giddings, coordinator of the department's network project, said access to MOREnet is not available to the public through the department's project.

Giddings said that a separate state project, called Research and Electronic Access for Libraries (REAL) gives the Cape Public Library access to MOREnet. "They have that capability right now," he said.

The department's project, however, is designed solely for elementary and secondary school institutions.

"The project's service provider is for institutions of higher learning and is not for public use," Giddings said. "Right now it is being provided for faculty and staff members."

Once a school district taps into MOREnet, it can provide as many access lines as it wants.

"Once they have a phone connection in the building, they can create as many extensions as they want," Giddings said. "That's what schools in Gideon, Bernie and Portageville are doing right now."

The Cape Girardeau public schools have 15 dial-ups and 30 direct connections to MOREnet.

For a one-time fee of $4,000 and a yearly participation fee of $1,500, the Cape Girardeau's school system has gained access to MOREnet in Columbia. MOREnet provides access to Internet, which gives participants information from around the world.

"I was able to tap into elections in South Africa or ask questions of other teachers who are connected to Internet," Giddings said.

The reason access to MOREnet has become so affordable is because the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is providing access to more than 300 school districts. "By consolidation, the cost goes down considerably," he said.

"When you get involved in a community information center, you're talking about a more expensive project," Giddings said. The reason the costs are so high is because a main computer, router and phone lines have to be purchased along with computers. In addition, full- and part-time personnel have to be hired to run the system.

Giddings said that without department funding for the project, district costs for hooking up to MOREnet would be $8,000 for a one-time cost and from $7,000 to $12,000 for annual participation.

Loos' plan calls for subscribers to ante up for a system that would cost $100,220 the first year and $97,820 the second year.

During the 1994-95 school year, a maximum of 150 school districts in Missouri will receive a dedicated line connection to their district. Those 150 districts will also receive a limited number of dial-up access accounts to be used by individuals who do not have access to the dedicated data connection network.

Cape Girardeau School District Technology Coordinator Kimberly Gwen said teachers and staff members are learning how to use the MOREnet system. Students from the Cape Girardeau Vo-Tech School are hooking up the fiber optic lines from the administration office to computers at Cape Central High School.

"Students will have access to the MOREnet system next fall," Gwen said. "When we get this system fully implemented, information from around the world will come alive in the classroom. It's a very exciting project."

The Cape Public School System administrative office serves as the base for the system. Fiber optic lines are being hooked to computers in quonset huts across from the Central Pool.

Gwen said area grade schools will be able to gain access to the MOREnet system by dialing into it in the near future.