You might have read the Associated Press story that ran in today’s Post Dispatch about Rep. Chris Kelly’s bill. The bill, which was filed on Monday, calls for the issuance of up to $700 million in bonds to pay for college campus building projects.

When I was reading the story, I was surprised to see Kelly, D-Columbia, say that the University of Missouri-St. Louis and the Missouri University of Science & Technology would not be eligible for the funds since they have supposedly already had their top projects funded from the transfer of MOHELA money. But as my Saturday story noted, UMSL’s top project — the renovation of its Benton-Stadler science complex — has not in fact received any funding and has been frozen out of MOHELA money for the time being.

So I called Kelly up to clarify. He told me that he thinks he misspoke and told the reporter UMSL when he meant to say UMKC. So to set the record straight, Kelly said that UMSL and Missouri S&T would still be eligible for the state bonds (if the bill passes, of course). And UMKC would, too, he said.

“It’s for all of the schools,” he said. “Every school is eligible. Everybody gets their piece of the action.”

He said his goal is to fund the number one funding priority of every state university and community college.

His bill, which is also co-sponsored by Rep. Steven Tilley, R-Perryville, is HJR 32.

The Grade is the St. Louis region’s premier blog on education and child welfare. To read other recent posts, go to www.stltoday.com/thegrade.