Even though money is extremely tight at Kansas University, a salary freeze seems like the wrong priority.

This week’s announcement by Kansas University Chancellor Robert Hemenway that no one at KU will receive a pay increase for the coming fiscal year probably is raising some questions.

There is no question, of course, that the university’s budget is severely strained. Hemenway has estimated the university is about $7.1 million short of what it would take to “continue our current level of operations,” and the situation may get worse in light of disappointing revenue collections since the close of the legislative session.

But even though they acknowledge the financial problems, many university employees may be questioning the university’s priorities.

There is an interesting parallel to be drawn between the actions of KU officials and the actions of local school district leaders. Also faced with serious funding constraints, Lawrence school administrators and board members went to work to set priorities and come up with a plan that would allow the district to meet its central educational mission. Part of that mission was to provide adequate salary increases for district teachers.

The decisions weren’t easy. New fees have been added and staff positions and some programs have been cut. But the difficult decisions created a pool of money that provided for a 5 percent increase in overall teacher compensation for next year. The raises are intended to acknowledge the vital role teachers play in achieving the district’s educational mission and the need to attract and retain the best teachers possible even in the competitive Lawrence market.

KU officials have made a compelling case in the last several years for the need to raise faculty salaries. They also have shown that KU isn’t keeping up with the competition in terms of faculty salaries. They point out that KU is losing some of its best and brightest teachers and researchers to more lucrative jobs at other universities or in private business.

But when push comes to shove, KU officials put salaries on the back burner. Like the school district, KU isn’t in control of how much state money it receives, but last year’s change to block grant funding has given KU officials more flexibility in determining where that money is directed. KU officials also will benefit from tuition increases that will add 25 percent to a Kansas resident’s cost to attend KU next fall and will double resident tuition during the next five years.

It would seem that KU faculty and staff would be justified in asking why KU leaders who have argued for better salaries aren’t willing now to put their money where their mouths are.

No one said it would be easy. It might even require reductions in administration similar to those implemented by the Lawrence school district. But one just has to wonder whether, if KU’s leaders really focused on meeting the university’s central mission, they might not be able to put a higher priority on rewarding the teachers, researchers and staff who contribute so directly to that mission.