No funds for Math and Science project

In its most recent legislative session, the Nebraska Unicameral did not approve a bill seeking $21.2 million to overhaul the Math and Science building.

The bill, LB 755, sought $50,393,089 for renovations and construction at the three state colleges. CSC was seeking $21,281,664 for renovations and an addition to the Math and Science building—$8,425,094 for academic year 2016-17; $7,405,886 for AY 2017-18; and $5,450,684 for AY 2018-19.

In an email last week, CSC President Randy Rhine broke the news campus-wide.

“Chadron State College hoped to use funds from LB 755 to renovate the Math and Science Building and this project remains important for the campus and the Nebraska State College System,” Rhine stated in his email.

LB 755 was rolled into LB 957, meaning the funding CSC was seeking was not passed.

“LB 957 provides an extension of LB 605, a program passed in the 2006 Legislature that provided funding to address deferred maintenance, repair and renovation, and facility replacement projects across the system,” Rhine stated.

While the news about Math and Science building wasn’t ideal, all was not lost.

In addition, Rhine noted that LB 605 permits the state colleges to use institutional matching funds and its extension will provide funds CSC needs to “complete phase one of the program statement for athletic facilities.”

LB 957, presented to Gov. Pete Ricketts on March 24, awaits his signature.

Now that LB 755 was rolled into LB 957, Rhine said they would continue to seek funding for the Math and Science project.

Rhine also wrote that he spoke Friday with NSCS Chancellor Stan Carpenter who assured Rhine that “the Math and Science project at CSC will remain the number one capital priority for the Board of Trustees going into next year’s biennial budget process. Math and Science will remain a high priority and I plan to continue working diligently with Chancellor Carpenter and others to secure funding from the Legislature for this project.”