Beers: Shut down state-run dental school

Sen. Bob Beers, R-Las Vegas, says Nevada should shut down its state-run dental school because it is costing too much money.

The issue came up in the Senate Finance Committee Monday when Beers asked officials from the Western Interstate Compact for Higher Education to get him information on where Nevada could place dental students through that exchange program if the Las Vegas school were closed.

The 3-year-old dental school is the brainchild of Ray Rawson, the man Beers ousted from the Nevada Senate to claim his seat last year.

"It's creation was more of a political action than an education action," he said.

Beers said the school was sold to other lawmakers on the premise it would never cost state general fund money to operate, but it didn't get through its first year without support.

"It's $20 million to $25 million in the budget, and it's just going to cost more and more," Beers said.

Most states are getting out of the dental college business, he said.

"I figure the equipment is pretty new. We could auction it off and probably recoup most of our expenses."

He said the building could be effectively used by the Medical School or some other University of Nevada, Las Vegas department.

Asked about the students, he said it would be cheaper to fund dental school positions through the Western Interstate Compact for Higher Education.

"That's how we used to do it," he said. "For what we're spending on the dental school, we could fund many slots in WICHE."

Those already attending classes, he said, would get "a refund and an apology" and possibly a payment of some sort from the state.

UNLV Vice President for Finance Gerry Bomotti said the total budget for the school is about $25 million a year, but only $4.5 million this year is direct state support. In the proposed budget, that would jump to $7.4 million next year as the school grows to its approved maximum of 300 students. He said the increase is almost entirely because of the increase in the number of students.

Bomotti said the majority of the budget comes from Medicaid and other programs that pay the school to provide dental services to seniors, the needy and others without access to dental care.

Pat Ferrillo, dean of the school, said the school has provided dental services to more than 150,000 people in the state as well as providing oral health education in schools and operating an anti-cancer screening program.

"Those services would be lost to the public if there were no dental school," he said.

He said the school has now drawn a large grant that will enable it to open up a large orthodontic program - and to do so without state funding.

"In a short time we've had a significant impact," he said.

n Contact reporter Geoff Dornan at gdornan@nevadaappeal.com or at 687-8750.