Topeka ? A debate in the Statehouse over how to pay for hundreds of millions of dollars of repairs at public colleges also has revealed a fracture between regents universities and the rest of higher education.

The Kansas Board of Regents has been lobbying for adoption of an increase in the state sales and property taxes and a bond issue to take care of $584 million in repairs at Kansas University and the five other regents institutions.

But alternative proposals have surfaced that would include repairs needed at the 19 community colleges and 11 technical colleges throughout the state.

One measure that was floated would have increased the statewide property tax to establish a revolving loan fund to pay for repairs at all higher education institutions. While applauded by the community colleges and technical colleges, the regents gave it a big thumbs down.

State universities already have the ability to borrow funds, regents president and chief executive Reginald Robinson said. “But the critical point is they do not have the funding necessary to repay those bonds or loan agreements as proposed in this bill,” Robinson said.

The regents contend the backlog of maintenance has resulted from inadequate funding in past years from the Legislature. The regents’ plan is to increase the state sales tax by one-tenth of a cent, increase the property tax by one mil, and issue $150 million in bonds.

But community colleges and technical colleges are left out of that plan.

Robert Edleston, president of Manhattan Area Technical College, told lawmakers that his school is in desperate need of help to make necessary repairs.

His students have renovated buildings and corporations are donating materials, but more is needed, he said, as the demand for services increases.

“The problem is that we plan to add almost a dozen new programs to meet community needs, but we have no room in our existing facilities,” he said.

And he noted that the non-regents schools shouldn’t be ignored.

“Eighty percent of Kansas jobs require more than a high school diploma but less than a four-year degree,” he said.

Sheila Frahm, executive director of the Kansas Association of Community College Trustees, said the schools she represents have at least $55 million worth of repairs that need attention.

Rep. Sue Storm, D-Overland Park, wondered aloud why the regents didn’t include the community colleges and technical colleges in its plan to address deferred maintenance.

“It seems like really bad form,” Storm said.

But Robinson said the deferred maintenance issue came from the presidents of the six regents institutions.

“At some point does it become a broader issue? Perhaps,” Robinson said.

In addition, he said that buildings at regents universities are property of the state, while buildings at community colleges and technical colleges are property of local boards.

And Robinson noted that under state law, the regents have authority over the six public universities but are in charge of “coordination” of the community colleges and technical colleges.