By Robert Dilday
Bluefield College has suspended plans for a new dental school due to uncertain funding, college officials have announced.
The suspension follows a decision by Tazewell County, which was partnering with Bluefield in the public-private project, to end a memorandum of agreement with the school and postpone funding until additional revenues are available.
“While our board of trustees remains supportive of the dental school project, we are suspending our activities until we know funding for the construction of the facility has been obtained and we have a new MOU with the county,” said Bluefield President David Olive in a press release. “This was a joint venture from the beginning, and it isn’t practical for the college to take the project forward on its own.”
Bluefield and Tazewell County launched the dental school project in the fall of 2012, with hopes it would impact Appalachian communities underserved by oral care providers. The school would be one of only three in the central Appalachian region, and apparently the only one in the nation operated by a college with Baptist ties.
Since then, the college and county have funded operations through gifts and pledges from supporters, but officials said that can’t continue without additional support. The college hopes to receive a $19.2 million grant from the Virginia Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission to resume the project. The commission considered the grant request in May but postponed a decision until September.
“The suspension of operations will continue at least until the Tobacco Commission acts on the county’s and college’s proposal and a new memorandum of understanding is entered into,” said Olive.