Mississippi legislators are debating whether the state still needs 23 public colleges and universities, after a bill to merge several community college districts sparked opposition earlier this year, ABC News reports.
Republican Rep. Trey Lamar's House Bill 1284 would have cut the number of community college districts from 15 to 12 by combining six of them, without closing any campuses, and reinvested the savings. College leaders and students petitioned against it and the bill died in committee.
Rep. Donnie Scoggin, who co-chairs the House consolidation committee, said lawmakers did not want to rush closures and were now studying the issue. Supporters of mergers point to overlapping tax districts and falling populations in parts of the Delta, while students say local campuses keep college affordable and close to home.
Source: ABC News