By Melinda DeslatteAssociated Press
Gov. Bobby Jindal told higher education leaders to plan for budget cuts of less than 10 percent next year, far less than projections that had suggested up to one-third of state financing was on the chopping block.
LSU system president John Lombardi notified his campus chiefs of the latest information Monday. Jindal spokesman Kyle Plotkin confirmed it to The Associated Press, while stressing that the governor’s 2011-12 budget proposal won’t be final until March.
“Having gone through cut exercises up to 32 percent, it now has been suggested that the lower 10 percent target we last asked you to work on may be more severe than what the Executive Budget will require,” Lombardi wrote to system chancellors.
After learning the reductions may not be that deep, Lombardi scrapped a Monday deadline for campuses to submit plans on which specific programs and jobs they would cut if colleges lose another 10 percent, or $56 million, of their state funds in the fiscal year that begins July 1.
Campus leaders have been reluctant to offer details about how they would slash budgets until they get a specific recommendation from Jindal, fearing specific proposals could drive away faculty and students before the cuts are concrete.
Lombardi and Plotkin didn’t specify the target figure given to higher education leaders beyond saying it would be less than 10 percent. Jindal’s budget isn’t due to lawmakers until March 11.
In an e-mail, Plotkin said the governor’s office remains “focused on using creative solutions to help mitigate reductions to higher education and health care.”
Higher education has been slashed by $310 million in state funds, or about 18 percent, since budget cuts began two years ago. College officials have eliminated low-participation programs, shrunk course offerings and cut majors and student services.
More cuts are expected because the state is estimated to be short $1.6 billion in state general fund income next year to continue current services. The state is spending about $7.6 billion in general fund money this year in a budget of more than $25 billion.
An additional 10 percent cut to state financing of colleges would eliminate $137 million, according to the Board of Regents.
It was unclear if the cuts Jindal will recommend for college campuses will be lessened because the governor also plans to propose tuition and fee increases for students.
Last month, Lombardi pitched a plan to raise costs for students across all four of Louisiana’s public college systems. Jindal has said he’ll consider such proposals and suggestions to give campuses more management flexibility, but he has not announced what mix of increases and changes he’ll support.
Many of the ideas would require legislative approval in the regular session that begins in April, and those votes are expected to be tough to get. Lawmakers also will craft a final budget during the session.
Lombardi warned LSU administrators they should continue to plan for reductions.
“We do not know what the Legislature may request of us once the session begins, so we will need to be ready to produce very quickly our likely responses at any level of detail that may be required during the legislative budget process,” he wrote.
