The Texas Tribune is reporting that Texas Tech University System officials have put on hold plans to build a veterinary school in Amarillo.

Texas Tech officials had planned on pushing the issue in the upcoming legislative session which convenes in January.

Over the past year, Texas Tech officials argued that a Texas Tech veterinary school would help address the lack of veterinarians in West Texas. The City of Amarillo even pledged $15 million dollars to the project. However, a Texas Tech veterinary school faced opposition from Texas A&M and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

The Texas Tribune reports that the Board of Regents for Texas Tech will meet in December and that they could decide a path forward if there is one for the veterinary school. When the Texas Tribune reached out for comment about the future of a Texas Tech veterinary school, Brett Ashworth wouldn't say how long the "pause" in plans would last:

In response to questions about the future of the school, system spokesman Brett Ashworth told The Texas Tribune that the system has "placed the veterinary school on pause." He wouldn't comment further or elaborate on what that means, and it's unclear how long that pause will last. But the decision calls into question whether Tech will be able to get approval to open the school when the Legislature is in session for the first half of next year.

Texas A&M System Chancellor John Sharp has said that the A&M veterinary school is expanding to West Texas through West Texas A&M.

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