Topeka ? Two months after she promised an “absolute commitment” to education, Gov.-elect Kathleen Sebelius isn’t sure she can avoid proposing cuts in spending on universities, community colleges and technical schools.

Sebelius said Thursday that it was too early for her to know what she would propose for higher education — or other parts of state government. She said most of her time recently had been spent on fiscal issues.

“It’s a grim situation, so I’m not prepared at this point to tell you how we’re going to end up, because I don’t know exactly where the bottom lines are going to end up,” Sebelius said.

Gov. Bill Graves has imposed two rounds of budget cuts and taken other measures to prevent a deficit in the state general fund projected at $312 million for June 30. The $4.1 billion general fund is the largest source of money for government programs and where the state deposits most of its tax dollars. The entire budget, including federal dollars, is about $10.8 billion.

The higher education system’s appropriation of state tax dollars for the current fiscal year has been cut by $33.6 million, or 4.8 percent.

Sebelius said she would not propose any cuts in state aid to public schools, which consumes more than $2.3 billion.

Asked whether she plans the same for higher education, Sebelius told reporters, “I don’t know at this point, frankly. The commitment that I made throughout the campaign was I would not cut public education, which was defined as really K through 12.”

But after an October 16 meeting during the campaign with the state’s Board of Regents, Sebelius said her commitment to public education included higher education. Her Republican opponent, Tim Shallenburger, wouldn’t promise during the same meeting to avoid cuts in higher education.

Sebelius also told the regents she remained committed to finding extra money promised by legislators when they reorganized the state’s higher education system in 1999.

“Part of what we have is an opportunity to make some fairly dramatic shifts in this state, to reframe the way we see government, the way we deliver services,” Sebelius said during the October meeting. “My priority is that begins with an absolute commitment to education.”