Today Board of Regents’ Chair Jill Docking of Wichita issued the following statement regarding the new Fiscal Year 2010 state revenue estimates that were released yesterday:
“Throughout the current budget crisis, the state’s public higher education system has consistently demonstrated its appreciation for the difficult challenges confronting state policymakers. As policymakers have sought to deal with those challenges, we have worked cooperatively and have been committed to doing our part.
There’s no question that we’ve stepped up to the plate and shouldered our share of the budget-balancing burden. The system has absorbed a massive 12% or $100 million cut in state funding over the past year, which has only been exacerbated by increased enrollments statewide.
The state is already flirting perilously close to the minimum funding levels required for us to continue receiving federal stimulus dollars. Additional cuts will jeopardize millions of dollars in federal funding, and would take higher education back to the funding levels of a half decade ago.
We certainly understand that the state’s ongoing budget challenges are significant. However, we think it’s important for Kansans to understand that further cuts to higher education will jeopardize their opportunity to enroll in and complete academic programs. Additional cuts will produce severe consequences, and there’s no doubt that qualified Kansans will be denied access to programs that are vitally important to the future health of the state’s economy.
Again, we appreciate the difficult situation facing state policymakers. However, we understand as well that higher education is the key to a brighter Kansas future, and we ask policymakers to maintain higher education funding at its current levels.”
TOPEKA —
