Amarillo chips in $15M for Texas Tech’s planned veterinary school

[TexasTowelie]

Officials in Amarillo on Tuesday agreed to chip in $15 million to help Texas Tech University open a new veterinary school in the city.

The grant will come from the city's economic development fund, which is used to lure job opportunities to town. The city and university estimates that the vet school will create about 100 well-paying jobs.

"Not only is this a wonderful opportunity for students seeking careers in veterinary medicine, particularly in a region known as the livestock capital of the United States, it's an investment in our community and economy," said Mayor Paul Harpole.

The school still needs approval from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and funding from the Legislature. That could be a challenge. Officials from Texas A&M University, home of the state's only vet school, have expressed opposition.

Read more: http://www.mrt.com/news/article_3d9f3afc-8074-11e6-80fc-9b4617cd82fd.html

[Sherman A1]

1. Interesting

by their own math, it appears to be a $1.5 million dollar investment per job created? I don't know if that is a high number or not but sounds like it to me. Certainly there will be construction jobs, vendor positions and other jobs created.

[TexasTowelie]

2. You misplaced the decimal.

It's $150,000 per job created. What is more important though is that there is a lack of veterinarians in the Panhandle region of Texas. The only vet school is at Texas A&M so there is a lot of power-brokering occurring to deny Texas Tech from starting a veterinary program. It is definitely not a done deal at this time so Lubbock and Amarillo will need to show financial support in order to get it through the legislature. The $15 million investment is only a fraction of what will be required for property investment and construction along with the employment of faculty and administration.

[Sherman A1]

3. I am certain that

there is much about the situation that I do not understand and I hope it works out best for the area.

[Cicada]

4. No Aggie Joaks in this thread please

[Paladin]

5. The A&M blockage of additional vet. schools in TX has been going on for decades.

Believe me, I know from personal, familial experience.