budget cuts

Missouri's House budget leader on Wednesday said he's trying to work out a deal to avoid Gov. Eric Greitens' proposed cuts to higher education funding, if schools don't raise tuition.

Republican Budget Committee Chairman Scott Fitzpatrick's latest state spending plan, unveiled during a hearing at the Capitol, includes $38 million more for public colleges and universities next year than what the governor recommended. That would erase some, but not all, of the cuts Greitens requested.

  The decision on whether or not to close more than a dozen graduate programs at MU now has a more substantial timeline.

At a special general faculty meeting on Monday, hundreds of MU faculty members packed Jesse Wrench Auditorium at Memorial Union to engage in a discussion centered around the Academic Programs Task Force report that recommended the closure, review or consolidation of several graduate programs.

  The University of Missouri's flagship campus in Columbia is raising concerns that proposed cuts will make it more difficult to meet goals that include paying for new research and academic buildings.

The Columbia Daily Tribune reports that Gov. Eric Greitens proposed Monday cutting 10 percent from current appropriations for state colleges and universities and putting 10 percent of the remaining funds into a pool that would only be distributed if performance measures are met. That would put more than $80 million of the appropriation at risk for the four-campus University of Missouri system. 

Some Missouri lawmakers are raising concerns about Gov. Eric Greitens' plan to continue cuts to school transportation funding.

  Lincoln University in Jefferson City is struggling to respond to a budget gap created by cuts in state and federal appropriations and a history of being mostly forgotten by government officials.

The university is one of two historically black colleges in Missouri. It says it will lose $3.8 million in state and federal funds for the 2017-2018 academic year. In response, Lincoln is cutting 48 positions and reducing employee pay by 0.5 percent. It's also increasing tuition by 2 percent.

Lincoln University in Jefferson City plans to cut 48 jobs and reduce salaries as it tries to respond to a budget deficit.

The school, which is facing a $3.8 million deficit in its fiscal 2018 budget, announced Monday that 32.5 staff and 15.5 faculty positions will be cut.

KRCG reports a statement from the school said the jobs services it provides to students will continue knowing that the workforce is already stretched too thin.

St. Louis University is planning to cut about 120 employees in response to a $16 million budget deficit.

An email sent Friday from President Fred Pestello said staff and administrators — but not faculty— will find out Tuesday who will be laid off.

Another 130 vacant positions are being eliminated.

University leaders blame the school's deficit on declining enrollment and increased expenses.

Pestello and other administrators hope to avoid further layoffs by finding between $40 million and $80 million through budget cuts or new income opportunities.

Ozarks Technical Community College officials in Springfield, Missouri say they're dramatically increasing tuition should the state face budget cuts.

Chancellor Hal Higdon tells the Springfield News-Leader that the school didn't raise tuition this year because the state's Legislature promised they would quote "get us that money." But if the budget cut for next year is equal to the one this year, Higdon says he will have no choice but to propose a tuition increase.

Lawmakers are anticipating tuition hikes in Missouri after recently announced budget cuts.

Gov. Eric Greitens announced nearly $68 million in core funding for public universities and community colleges last week. The Columbia Daily Tribune reports that Republican Rep. Lyle Rowland, of Cedarcreek, says he sees little chance of providing more than static spending in the coming year. Rowland is the chairman of the House committee that will take the first look at education spending for the coming year after Greitens submits his budget

 Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon is blocking millions of dollars of planned Medicaid spending in a budget-balancing move near the end of his term.

The Democratic governor said Wednesday that he was restricting $51 million of budgeted spending, including nearly $43 million for the Medicaid health care program and nearly $9 million in bonding authority. In both cases, Nixon said the budgeted spending wasn't needed because of savings achieved by his administration.

He also cited declining corporate tax revenues as a reason for the cuts.

Missouri schools will get additional money because Gov. Jay Nixon has decided to reverse a few of the budget cuts he made earlier this year.

Nixon on Wednesday released about $12 million of previously blocked spending, including $9 million for public schools. The Democratic governor cited a report released a day earlier showing Missouri revenues grew by 5.8 percent in September compared with the same time last year.

The school funding was part of $59 million of budget cuts Nixon announced last month, after lawmakers overrode his vetoes to enact new tax breaks.

MU Extension Communications is drastically reducing the size of its news footprint effective Tuesday. MU Extension Communications laid off two full-time employees and one part-time employee in the Extension news group.

They also let go one employee in its web group. MU Extension Communications Director Dennis Gagnon said there are several groups within communications that perform various functions for Extension. He said this leaves one designated news employee on staff.

The University of Missouri is now projecting a drop in enrollment of 2,630 students for the next school year, which will contribute to a $31.4 million revenue shortfall for MU next year.

University of Missouri leaders briefed faculty and staff Wednesday with the latest figures on enrollment and the budget for the next fiscal year. Vice Chancellor of Finance Rhonda Gibler explained the cuts necessary to right the ship at MU will not be easy.

The University of Missouri says it's planning to close two more dorms on the Columbia campus because of a drop in residency.

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon says increased state general revenues make some proposed budget cuts unnecessary, specifically those for foster children and people with mental illnesses.

  Gov. Jay Nixon's administration is cutting back on a $32 million-a-year special program for the blind.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the program offers monthly pension-like payments. The Department of Social Services has told all 3,847 people receiving the pension checks to expect a $33-a-month cut in January. The cut will save the state an estimated $730,000.

Missouri’s state budget for next year has been signed into law, but Governor Jay Nixon also carved $15 million out of the spending plan that takes effect July 1. 

The University of Missouri Press will close. That’s according to a press release issued today by the University of Missouri system. The UM system provides the University of Missouri Press with a $400,000 yearly subsidy, and according to the press release, the Press has been unable to operate without a deficit in recent years.

In some of the first higher education layoffs announced this year in reaction to state funding reductions, Northwest Missouri State University will cut 20 jobs and eliminate or reorganize eight academic departments in a campus-wide move to reduce costs.

Lawyers have been back in court arguing over the authority of Missouri's governor to make budget cuts.