Topeka ? Kansas higher education officials Thursday warned that an uncertain economic future may result in a no-growth budget.

“We have a national problem,” said Kansas Board of Regents member Jarold “Jerry” Boettcher, of Beloit, as he mentioned some states that were preparing to cut funding to public colleges.

The regents, which governs higher education in Kansas, will meet Aug. 19-21 in Wichita for a retreat to discuss the budget proposal it will take to the Legislature for the 2009 legislative session that starts in January.

Boettcher and other regents decried the fact that state governments were sending fewer tax dollars to higher education institutions as a percentage of overall state budgets.

“We are on the cusp of an academic crisis,” he said.

Regents members said they had been forced to shift costs to students and parents in the form of tuition increases.

During the past legislative session, higher education received a $30 million increase, or 3.6 percent, while overall state funding increased 4.4 percent.

Regents staff members have proposed a “keeping up” budget to track inflation, which would require a 4 percent, or $32 million increase. But even that could be in jeopardy.

Gov. Kathleen Sebelius’ budget director Duane Goossen said, “We’re headed for a challenging budget.”

He said he told university business officers that the 2010 fiscal year, which starts July 1, 2009, could be a no-growth budget “at best.”

In recent months, state revenues have fallen below expectations, and the national economy continues to sputter. “There are a number of open-ended factors that we are going to be watching,” Goossen said.

In other business, the regents elected new leaders. Donna Shank, of Liberal, will become chairwoman, replacing Christine Downey-Schmidt, of Inman. Jill Docking, of Wichita, will become vice chairwoman, replacing Shank.