Haslam budget includes UTHSC dentistry building

NASHVILLE — Gov. Bi l l Haslam’s fiscal year 2017 budget proposal unveiled Feb. 1 includes $39 million for a new College of Dentistry building at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis and to renovate existing dentistry school facilities.

The substantial increase in education funding the governor proposed will send new money to Shelby County Schools and the suburban school districts — including money for the state’s share of teacher pay raises — but precise numbers won’t be determined until after the funding is routed through the state’s school funding formula.

Shelby County Schools boa rd member Ch ris Caldwell, who chairs the board’s finance committee, called the funding increase “a step in the right direction,” adding that he would reserve celebration until the legislature passes the budget.

“I just think any time there’s an increase in education (funding), it’s a win for our community and the students and all the public school students across the state,” Caldwell said.

But with SCS facing a $72 million budget gap this year, Caldwell said the increase in funding may not be enough.

The school board has a lawsuit pending against the state that alleges the district is underfunded by roughly $100 million a year.

In addition to the operating increases for K-12 public schools and higher education, the governor also asked legislators to spend money from a record $746 million surplus on new construction and ma i nten a nce proje c t s statewide, including college campuses. UTHSC, the University of Memphis and Southwest Tennessee Community College will receive shares of a $45 million increase for major maintenance projects in the Tennessee Board of Regents system and $29 million in the UT system.

They include $8 million in security upgrades at UTHSC, $5. 35 million in building repairs at the U of M and $2.2 million in roof replacements and mechanical system upgrades at Southwest. Tennessee College of Applied Technology Memphis is down for $230,000 worth of door and hardware replacement.

The budget proposal also includes the National Civil Rights Museum’s annual maintenance grant of $300,000.