An earlier version of this story was first published on the Midwest Democracy Project’s website on Oct. 29.

PUBLISHED AT 9:45 P.M. ON TUESDAY, NOV. 2

Kansas educators generally support Sam Brownback’s broad higher education goals. But some question whether the newly elected governor will be willing to spend the money needed to meet those goals.

Brownback won Tuesday’s election, becoming the state’s first Republican governor in eight years. He defeated Tom Holland, the Democratic candidate, by 27 percentage points (62 percent to 35 percent.) During his campaign, Brownback emphasized higher education’s role in the state economy. In his platform, “Road Map for Kansas,” he outlined goals that are in line with those previously articulated by colleges and universities across the state.

These goals include achieving National Cancer Institute designation at the University of Kansas Cancer Center, supporting the Kansas Polymer Research Center at Pittsburg State University and working with community and technical colleges to better meet workforce demands.

Holland also focused on the economic contributions of higher education in his campaign. He called education one of the best investments Kansas could make to ensure economic development and said he wanted to increase spending for higher education. Holland endorsed the “Kansas Commitment,” a proposal by the state Board of Regents to boost state funding by $50.4 million.

“It is impossible to do more with less,” said Gary Sherrer, chairman of the Board of Regents. “We think it’s a relatively modest proposal considering the total amount we’re asking for is half of what they cut from higher education.”

Holland backed the plan after the student body presidents at the six regents universities sent him a letter encouraging him to do so.

Brownback received the same letter and declined to endorse the proposal. That decision has deepened educators’ concerns about what steps Brownback will take as governor.

Budget Woes

The dismal state of Kansas’ budget will no doubt complicate Brownback’s ability to achieve his higher education goals, which include graduating more engineers and improving the biosciences. The recent recession proved to be Kansas’ worst financial crisis since the Great Depression, and a three-year decline in state revenue has exacerbated higher education’s financial woes.

The state has cut more than $100 million from its higher education budget during the last two years and state funding per student is at an all-time low.

Kansas’ largest financial hurdle will be a $450 million gap in the upcoming fiscal year left by depleted federal Recovery Act money.

The American Reinvestment and Recovery Act provided temporary relief for the state general fund, which funds roughly a third of higher education’s budget. Though state universities and colleges still suffered significant funding cuts, those cuts would have been much more severe had the state not received federal support.

But Recovery Act money is soon to run out.

To avoid further cuts to higher education, Kansas lawmakers must find a way to fill that gap, said Duane Goossen, the state’s budget director.

Some educators have voiced support for raising taxes.

“It seems to me that the state may have to raise taxes,” said Joshua Rosenbloom, a professor of economics at the University who is an expert on state and local economics. “Without raising taxes there’s no other way to get around this.”

No New Taxes

But Brownback said he opposed tax increases. His solution is to stabilize funding for higher education by increasing the amount of state tax revenue generated. He wants to grow the economy by creating a business environment that allows Kansas businesses to expand and that attracts new businesses to the state. He says that means reducing regulation and holding down taxes.

“Stabilizing funding means letting the regents know what they can expect,” said Sherriene Jones-Sontag, a spokeswoman for Brownback’s campaign.

In addition to his plan to increase tax revenue, Brownback said he would freeze the state general fund. After freezing state spending, Jones-Sontag said, Brownback will evaluate how state funds are being spent. Lawmakers could then shift additional funding to areas he considers the state’s primary responsibilities: education, social services and public safety.

“In the good times, the state was able to afford more programs and provide more services,” Jones-Sontag said. “Should the economy not recover, there will be some difficult decisions made.”

The state’s economic forecast isn’t entirely bleak. Goossen told the annual Kansas Economic Policy Conference last week that Kansas had received slightly more federal money than expected, and state revenues in the past three months were higher than expected. He said the fate of higher education depended on two things: continued economic recovery and the resolve of policymakers to keep education budgets stable.

Brownback has called education the “primary function of the state.” Jones-Sontag said Brownback considered universities “a tremendous industry for the state” and major partners in getting Kansas on the road to economic recovery.

However, some educators, such as Rosenbloom, worry Brownback will focus too much on higher education’s short-term goals as governor.

The purpose of higher education is not simply to train people for jobs they’ll do next year, Rosenbloom said. Rather it’s to prepare them for a world that will look entirely different to them in 30 or 40 years.

“He’s certainly not apathetical to higher education,” Rosenbloom said. “But I also think we run the risk of becoming so focused on economic development issues that we lose sight of the broader purpose of higher education.”

— Edited by Dana Meredith