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Education news and issues in the Ozarks.

Budget Delivered to Governor Better Than Projected for Missouri State, Higher Education

Missouri State University
MSU
/
Missouri State University

Missouri State University President Clif Smart says the school is poised to receive $2.1 million more in state appropriations than originally anticipated.

This comes after the general assembly passed a final budget bill that included a 6.58 percent cut in core funding for MSU, rather than the 9 percent cut proposed by Gov. Eric Greitens. Should the governor sign the bill, it will be welcome news to colleges and universities that had to slash budgets to balance out the projected cuts.

Missouri State developed its fiscal year 2018 budget recommendations on the assumption of a 9 percent cut. In a memo this week, Smart said the added funding could lead to a mid-year compensation increase for employees. He says he’ll meet with the Executive Budget Committee this fall to evaluate the actual revenues received from the state.

Later this month, Smart is presenting the committee’s budget recommendations to the MSU Board of Governors. They include cutting eight occupied staff positions, and eliminating another 27 vacant faculty and staff positions.

Smart was asked what the school would do if appropriations turned out better than expected at a budget town hall meeting in April. In addition to a possible mid-year pay raise, he suggested it could explore filling back in some cuts or rehiring people that were laid off.

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