Wichita (Kan.) State University is looking into opening a dental school, which would be the first in Kansas, according to a Nov. 3 report by The Sunflower.
Here are six things to know:
1. The university has asked state lawmakers for $5 million in funding to study whether a dental school would be feasible.
2. The study would determine the costs, staffing, class sizes and how a dental school at the university would impact the Wichita area.
3. Zach Gearhart, the university's chief of staff and executive director of government relations, said that Kansas lawmakers and universities have considered a dental school "for some time."
4. WSU and the University of Kansas previously joined forces on the Wichita Biomedical Campus. Phase 2 of the project would be to include a dental school at or near the biomedical campus.
5. The state legislature will review budget recommendations, including potential funding for the study, next spring.
6. If funding is approved, WSU could start the study in July 2025.