The Kansas Board of Regents will vote Thursday on a budget request that includes about $45 million in additional funding for improvements and raises for employees.
The increases are targeted at a variety of areas. Nearly $3 million would go to improve the University of Kansas Medical Center and $5 million to strengthen the College of Architecture at Kansas State University.
The proposal also includes more than $7 million for employee pay raises. That would be a 1 percent raise for all employees of the state universities.
Regent Dan Lykins says it’s been four years since the state approved a raise for all university employees.
“I know some employees at all six Regents schools that have left their jobs because of no pay raises,” says Lykins. “They just could not afford to raise their family on what we’re paying them. They can make more money in the private sector of our economy, or they leave the state.”
Once the budget request is approved, it will go to Governor Sam Brownback. He will then provide legislators with his budget recommendations before the next legislative session.