Topeka ? Higher education officials will seek about $60 million more for maintenance and repairs and $59 million more for operating expenses when the Legislature returns to work in January.

Two Lawrence lawmakers who heard the request Monday said they would take a wait-and-see approach before deciding whether they supported the proposals.

“We have to look at what our source of funds are and what funds we have available,” said Sen. Roger Pine, R-Lawrence.

Both Pine and Sen. Marci Francisco, D-Lawrence, said lawmakers will have to balance numerous requests for more funding in education, health and highways.

“This is not going to be unlike any other session,” Francisco said.

Lawmakers will start the 2008 legislative session in January.

Reginald Robinson, president and chief executive officer of the Kansas Board of Regents, detailed the regents’ agenda for the Legislative Educational Planning Committee.

He said the regents would introduce legislation to transfer about $60 million from the state’s all-purpose tax fund to pay off bonds, which would free up funds for the repair and rehabilitation projects at state university campuses.

Earlier this year, the Legislature approved a five-year, $134.4 million plan to address deferred maintenance, but higher education officials said that would take care of only a small portion of the $663 million backlog of projects.

On overall funding, the regents are seeking a 7.1 percent increase for higher education, which would include funds to keep pace with inflation and increased investments to “fund institutions to produce specific results for the people of Kansas,” Robinson said.