KIRKSVILLE, MO -- A heartland college was promoting a major campus expansion opportunity on Thursday.  The Community Friends for AT Still University held a luncheon to discuss plans for a School of Dentistry and Oral Health coming to the Kirksville campus.

“Immediately, this would be an opportunity for the community to further our education efforts and the economic impact to the community would be tremendous” said Northeast Regional Medical Center Associate CEO Ranee Brayton.  “We’re anticipating when the school is fully enrolled and the students are here in classes of 70 that almost a $100 million annual impact to the community would be realized.”

AT Still University in Kirksville is not the only location interested in the new School of Dentistry and Oral Health.

“We are in a competitive situation” said Brayton.  “A dental school brings tremendous amount of benefit to a community and therefore San Diego and Orlando are both very interested and have pledged commitments as well.”

A final decision to where the new School of Dentistry and Oral Health is expected to be made in February.  If Kirksville is chosen, classes are expected to start in the fall of 2013.

Click here to read a previous story on the dental school.