Kansas’ college campuses need more than $600 million to deal with a maintenance backlog and continued upkeep of aging facilities, but for fiscal year 2007, administrators are planning for $15 million.

Allocated by the Kansas Board of Regents on Thursday, the $15 million will be divvied up among eight campuses, with about $4.5 million expected to go to Kansas University. KU Medical Center was allocated $1.5 million.

KU Chancellor Robert Hemenway said Thursday’s action demonstrated how much a solution was needed.

“We know that the (allocation) won’t meet all the needs,” he said.

The board estimates it will have about $30 million available for the coming fiscal year from funds raised through a 1-mill property tax levy. Half of those funds pay for the “crumbling classrooms” project, a plan started in 1996 to take care of some of the problems.

The remainder go to campuses, each with a list of projects.

KU’s priority list includes:

¢ $1 million to reconstruct the first floor slab of Wescoe Hall;

¢ $890,000, for tunnel improvements;

¢ $568,000, for campus mechanical improvements;

¢ $464,000, for electrical service upgrades;

¢ $314,500, for roof repairs or replacements.

In other business, the board approved student housing rate increases. At KU, rate increases vary. They range from a $9 increase for a one-bedroom in Stouffer Place to a $295 increase for some rooms in Templin Hall, for example. The increases are effective July 1, 2006. The increases mean an additional $1.17 million to the university to help cover maintenance, materials, utilities, and salaries to operate and maintain the buildings.