Missouri Universities Face Maintenance Backlogs

Missouri’s public universities and colleges are in a maintenance crisis, with millions of dollars of repairs needed on their campuses but no money available to make the repairs, Missourinet reports.

The state legislature and governor control the state’s approximately US$30 billion budget and must approve maintenance spending at the schools. As funding these maintenance projects has not been a top priority for the state, many of the older education buildings are beginning to show the effects of neglect.

Some of the delayed maintenance projects are only affecting the aesthetics of the campus and are more embarrassing than critical, according to Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development Commissioner Zora Mulligan. However, other delayed projects are affecting student and staff safety. For instance, one school has steam tunnels under the campus sidewalks. These tunnels are in danger of crumbling, putting people who walk on the sidewalks at risk of falling into the tunnels if they fully deteriorate.