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FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky State University President Raymond Burse says Gov. Matt Bevin's proposed budget cuts would create a dire financial situation that could require the school to close.
Burse sent a letter Monday to faculty, staff, students and alumni informing them of the crisis, according to media outlets. Burse wrote that Bevin's proposed budget gives KSU two options: to declare financial exigency or come up with a closure plan.
Last month, Bevin proposed cutting state funding to universities by 4.5 percent for the rest of the fiscal year ending June 30. He wants to cut funding by 9 percent over the following two years.
When he became president in fall 2014, Burse said he faced a budget with an operating deficit of $7 million. Since then, the university hasn't been able to get ahead due to declining enrollment, he said.
Burse said in the letter that he is not "declaring defeat."
He also wrote, "I am working hard to make certain we can do our work smarter, logically and effectively to ensure that Kentucky State University is here for another 130 years."
Currently, KSU has 1,706 students enrolled. This year, the university will celebrate its 130th anniversary.
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