The University of Texas System signaled significant progress toward establishing a four-year Rio Grande Valley medical school on Thursday, yet raised more questions than answers.

At their Thursday meeting, the UT System Board of Regents allotted funding to the University of Texas at Austin for a medical school. Another motion also approved a school in South Texas.

However, the motion states the board had no discretionary funds for the school, indicating the Valley would have to pony up local money and secure more state funds.

The board has not expressed where in the Valley the school could be established, but their endorsement is in line with state Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr.s 2009 bill that calls for the creation of a medical school and health science center in South Texas.

For the past 15 years, we have been working diligently to lay a solid foundation for a medical school in South Texas, UT System Chancellor Francisco Cigarroa said in a press release sent Thursday, alluding to the Regional Academic Health Center here. This is a house built on rock.

However, some state Legislators who represent the region expressed concern that progress on a school in Austin might eclipse efforts for a Valley medical school. They also called for a blueprint from the UT System by September to include a timeline and how the region could contribute to the projects completion.

Meanwhile, UT System is also pursuing its Transformation In Medical Education initiative with the goal of helping students more effectively and quickly pursue their medical education.

The boards motion to develop a South Texas school called for utilizing the three existing academic and research divisions of the RAHC spread throughout the Valley, with locations in Harlingen, in Edinburg under the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, and in Brownsville at the regional campus under the UT School of Public Health.

Lucio and his son, state Rep. Eddie Lucio III, issued a joint statement Thursday stating that they fear Cigarroa will not be able to convince UT regents that a medical school is a crucial part of a South Texas Health Science Center.

The UT board allocated millions of dollars to support a medical school in Austin and called for $35 million in annual community support there. But, the motion for the Valley was more vague and did not cite any funding numbers.

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UT System regents back medical school in Valley