Florida’s Board of Governors questioned the “economic sense” of spending $1.6 million a year to add 12 students to the University of Florida’s dental school in an effort to attract more minorities to the field.

Facing a tight fiscal year, the University of Central Florida and Florida A&M had already backed out of seeking board support to ask the state Legislature to fund new dental schools.

On Wednesday, board members -- meeting in the Level 3 Premier Club of Florida Atlantic University's newly opened $70 million football stadium -- further questioned the costs of expanding the University of Florida’s dental school even as a collaboration with Florida A&M aimed at reaching out to minority students and medically underserved rural parts of the state.

“All I know is the output for this investment is 12 dentists a year that hopefully will go serve in rural areas,” said board member Hector “Tico” Perez. “I wonder if a little more minority recruitment might help solve this problem?”

Out of 320 dental students currently enrolled at UF, about 15 are African-American, according to board staff. Hispanic enrollment is slightly larger.

The board directed staff to clarify by January the additional program costs to current expenses in educating dental students, which currently is estimated between $50,000 and $70,000 a year per student.

Board member Norman D. Tripp said the issue should be considered a matter of public health.

“The numbers are not astonishing,” Tripp said. “I believe we can reach out and find partners who can find value in this.”

University officials said the proposed money isn’t just for the additional students, but also for middle and high school education programs and outreach into underserved areas.

“Florida has some issues we have to deal with on the side of dental services and education,” said Chancellor Frank Brogan.

A recent state report indicated rural and minority areas of Florida -- primarily in South Florida and in parts of the Panhandle -- are underserved in terms of dental care.

Brogan said that under the streamlined proposal between UF and Florida A&M, dental students who agree to work in underserved rural areas after graduating would receive help on loan repayment.

Since the last board meeting, the University of Central Florida and Florida A&M universities dropped their own efforts to open dental schools.

UF, USF and Florida A&M were advised last month by the board of governors to revise their dental school plans due to the state’s financial situation.

State legislators would have to approve any new schools or additional funding requests from the universities.

In dropping its plans, Florida A&M agreed to work with UF on increasing minority enrollment in the Gainesville school’s dental program.

UCF withdrew plans on Tuesday to open a dental school in Lake Nona’s medical city, after the Florida Dental Association questioned the need for another dental school.

UF had initially sought to add 80 students, but will now add 12 positions a year for the next five years.

Reach Jim Turner at jturner@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859 or (772) 215-9889.