Additional Metro Budget Cuts
Appear Unlikely

Even though state budget forecasts released last Friday indicate the state's 2003-04 state budget will need to be reduced anywhere from $97 million to $207 million, Metro State "probably" won't face any additional budget cuts, says Mike Barnett, vice president of administration and finance. That's because the college's budget for the 2003-04 fiscal year, which begins July 1, already assumes that the legislature will further reduce its appropriation to Metro State by an additional $2 million, on top of the $6.4 million already reduced.

If only $97 million needs to be cut, as predicted by Nancy McCallin, director of the governor's office of planning and budgeting, then Metro State's reduction would probably amount to between $750,000 and $1 million. If $207 million needs to be cut from the state budget, as predicted by Tom Dunn, the legislature's chief economist, Metro State's share of reductions would be between $1.6 and $2 million.

"I think we're in fairly good shape," Barnett said, noting that projected enrollment increases are on track. "We'll continue to monitor the state budget situation, but at this point, it doesn't appear that any additional budget reductions are necessary."