Idaho universities feel pains from cutbacks

MOSCOW, Idaho (AP) — Several years of state budget cuts has forced administrators at Idaho's public universities to put off millions of dollars in maintenance and repair projects to buildings and infrastructure on campus.

Six years ago, the list of deferred maintenance projects at the University of Idaho was pegged at $70 million. But the Lewiston Tribune reports (http://bit.ly/ohFAMq ) the price tag for projects in waiting at the Moscow campus is not more than $200 million.

In recent years, school administrators say the state has appropriated just $3 million per year for maintenance and upgrade projects.

The to-do list is also growing at Lewis-Clark State College, though it's much smaller than at other Idaho campuses. School officials say the backlog is estimated at $15.3 million, most tabbed for upgrades to some of the oldest buildings.