ASHS scores another $5M in state funds for construction of its Demopolis campus

The state has allocated another $5 million to the Alabama School of Healthcare Sciences in Demopolis for capital expenses.

The funds are part of $27 million awarded through the Public School and College Authority.

Gov. Kay Ivey on Tuesday approved the funds that includes $22 million to Auburn University during a PSCA meeting.

The funds are made available through interest that has accrued from the original issuance in 2020. Throughout Governor Ivey’s tenure, she has awarded more than $1.9 billion in PSCA funds, Ivey's office said in a statement.

“The Public School and College Authority funding allows us to make generational investments in the classrooms that are fostering future generations. There is simply no task more important than equipping our young people with the best opportunities to succeed,” Ivey said. “I am proud to award my alma mater, Auburn University, as well as the Alabama School of Healthcare Sciences funding that will help them prepare our students for promising futures.”

Construction of the Alabama School of Healthcare Sciences residential high school campus in Demopolis is estimated to cost about $80 million. The school opened this year with students at the University of West Alabama while the Demopolis campus is being built.

Pushed for by Gov. Ivey since early 2023, the science and health care-focused, public residential school in Demopolis is proposed to combat Alabama’s shortage of health care workers. It is funded with a $26.4 million pledge from Bloomberg Philanthropies and state dollars.