Dive Brief:
- Campus buildings at the 11 public universities in North Dakota are falling apart due to a prolonged squeeze on state spending, despite the state’s oil and natural gas revenue windfall.
- The backlog of repairs adds up to an $808 million maintenance bill for the North Dakota schools, Bloomberg reports.
- North Dakota’s economy — as measured by the growth of personal income, revenue from taxes, jobs, and home prices — has been better than any other state since 2009. From its 2006 fiscal year through its 2013 fiscal year, the state took in $6.8 billion in revenue related to oil and natural gas production.
Dive Insight:
North Dakota isn’t the only state will giant campus repair bills. In Arizona, the three state universities have a $511 million bill; in Texas, the bill is $394 million; and Colorado’s bill is $248 million, according to Bloomberg. Among the issues in North Dakota: Bad ventilation and fire alarm systems, inadequate insulation, substandard electrical systems, outdated heating plants, asbestos and lead paint issues, and crumbling foundations. In one case, for a pharmacy college, a lack of building space is threatening its accreditation.