Arizona State University officials are working on developing a “comprehensive plan over the next few months” on whether it is feasible to open a campus here, said Terri Shafer, an ASU spokesperson.

“Final decisions won’t be made for some time,” Shafer stated in an e-mail earlier in July.

Shafer said the Havasu Foundation for Higher Education had conceptual drawings of what the former Daytona Middle School site might look like if it was converted into a collegiate campus.

“The drawings … were not done by ASU,” she stated. “They may or may not resemble what might actually happen.”

Steve Greeley, the foundation’s president, confirmed the organization has a couple of conceptual drawings that were done in the past 120 days, but “nothing that is even close to being finalized.”

“You’ve got to start somewhere,” he said.

Shafer also said ASU officials, as of July 9, hadn’t spoken to state legislators about funding the potential local campus. Foundation officials had previously stated they would fundraise to help with remodeling the facility at 98 Swanson Ave., but fundraising wouldn’t start until a firm commitment has been made.

ASU officials said in June that they expect the projected first year’s operating costs to hit $2.5 million. A study, conducted in the spring, revealed a potential 175 incoming freshman from the area and nearby California communities.

Richard Stanley, ASU’s senior vice president and university planner, said in June that there were only two options to fund the local campus: rally the state legislature and governor for more funding or philanthropy. He said at the time ASU’s budget did not have the funding to support the local campus.

But it doesn’t seem like anyone’s budget has the funding to support the local campus.

Lake Havasu City’s three state legislators agreed, saying the state just doesn’t have the funding to give ASU for the potential new campus here. They said ASU or the Arizona Board of Regents — the state governing body that oversees higher education — needs to move money around and cut unnecessary programs to make the Lake Havasu City vision happen.

The three local legislators and ASU officials confirm that no conversations have taken place yet on how the campus would be funded.

“It’s going to be tough to get money because the state’s broke,” said Sen. Ron Gould, R-Lake Havasu City, “We still have a $1.5 billion dollar budget deficit. The state university system took absolutely no cut.”

Gould said ASU officials need to cut wasteful programs and funding for wasteful studies.

“Realistically, that’s what they need to do. The legislature doesn’t have any more money they can shift into the university system,” he said.

Rep. Nancy McLain, R-Bullhead City, agreed with Gould.

“We don’t have the money right now to put out for any additional monies,” she said. “The (1-cent sales tax passed in May) is not going to help that much. There is still going to be a deficit. There simply isn’t additional money to allocate for an additional campus here or anywhere else.

“I’m not terribly happy with some of the funding, the way it’s allocated among the universities,” she added. “I think a lot of that money, frankly, is wasted. If they can tighten their belts and get some funds for a campus here in Havasu (that) would be a wonderful thing.”

Rep. Doris Goodale, R-Kingman, said she was hopeful a solution could be found.

“The opportunity to discuss it is what is so exciting,” she said. “We have a lot of great brains there in Havasu and we can come to a good conclusion on this.”

All three legislators are up for re-election in November.

Katie Paquet, spokeswoman for the Arizona Board of Regents, confirmed there were no state cuts to the organization’s budget for this current fiscal year, which runs from July 2010 to July 2011.

“But it’s important to remember that we’re currently operating at 2006 state funding levels,” she wrote in a recent e-mail.

Paquet said there is no funding in the current fiscal year budget for the potential local campus here.

The Havasu Foundation for Higher Education started working on bringing a four-year university to Lake Havasu City in 2004.

The Lake Havasu Unified School District started the process in December 2009 to close its one of two middle schools due to funding cuts. In January, ASU officials confirmed the now vacant site was an attractive incentive to opening a campus here.

A study was conducted in the spring to determine if enough students would attend a campus here. In June, the results were revealed and strong enough to keep officials involved with the project moving forward.

You may contact the reporter at jleatherman@havasunews.com