Tennessee State University is desperate to repair its worn-down campus after years of complaints from students and faculty about decaying walkways, damaged classrooms and broke-down elevators.
Now, new state funding to fix these issues could soon be on the way. It’ll come as part of Gov. Bill Lee’s new $53 billion budget proposal.
With an approval of Lee’s budget on the horizon, state lawmakers are proposing a simple bill that would allow the state to track TSU’s progress as it addresses its infrastructure needs.
It’ll require the university to submit reports detailing campus facility improvements and how those repairs address the needs identified by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission.
“We want to be able to get an update every year about the progress that is being made,” said state Rep. Harold Love Jr. of Nashville, during a Wednesday committee meeting.
The historically Black campus has more than $300 million dollars in deferred maintenance because of previous underfunding issues.
More: How decades of underfunding harms TSU students and hurts graduation rates
To help with the construction projects, Lee wants to give the university $250 million for dorm hall and academic building repairs.
The funding request will need to be approved by the Tennessee General Assembly, which could happen during the last week of the session.