Topeka ? Public schools will be among the likely targets next month when a new round of state budget cuts are ordered, Gov. Bill Graves said Thursday.

Graves’ announcement came seven weeks after he and lawmakers ended the longest legislative session in state history by approving $300 million in tax increases to balance the state’s $4.4 billion budget. The increases took effect July 1.

Graves said cuts must be made because spending already is outstripping revenues and will put the 2003 fiscal year budget in the red, the governor said. Collections fell more than $200 million short of expectations for the fiscal year that ended June 30.

“We are simply not going to have a choice but to shave back some amount of state general fund money that was allocated in the budget process in the last legislative session for fiscal year 2003,” Graves said.

He said he did not know how much he would cut, nor from where, and declined to comment when asked whether the $20 per-pupil increase in state aid to schools would be cut.

Asked if he could guarantee that schools would receive the increase, Graves said, “Right at this moment, every agency that receives state general funds is likely to be included” in the round of cuts.

Lawrence school board members, Supt. Randy Weseman and his staff spent much of the spring working on budget cuts and fee increases in anticipation of the state not meeting its funding promises. It was an exercise that now will keep them from scrambling.

“Our patrons would not notice any decreases in funds this year; what we’re going to have to discuss is what it means for the following year,” Weseman said. “We’ll start sometime in October talking about what we’re going to do for the next year.”

The governor said there were no plans to furlough or lay off state employees; he wants to protect certain social service programs; and he will not back down from spending $750,000 to shore up the Capitol dome so a statue can be placed atop it.

On the cutting side, the only potential reduction Graves would discuss was that some small state parks may have to be closed. Chad Luce, public information officer with Kansas Wildlife and Parks, however, said there had been no discussions within the agency on shutting down parks.

“Depending on the allotments, that could be a possibility,” Luce said. “The budget is in a crunch, but we haven’t talked about closing any state parks.”

The budget and tax increases were approved by Graves, a Republican, with help almost entirely from Republican lawmakers, who have significant majorities in the Legislature. House Democratic Leader Jim Garner of Coffeyville said Graves’ plan to cut the budget so soon after the legislative session “highlights the failings of the last legislative session.”

“You had taxes raised on working families, and then the problem still not getting fixed,” Garner said. Graves, however, said he had received little criticism from the public for raising state sales, motor fuels, cigarette and inheritance taxes.