Topeka ? Kansas higher education leaders on Wednesday said the state needs to increase funding to post-secondary schools.

“We are going to fall behind if we don’t have greater investment,” said Pittsburg State University President Steven Scott.

The basic level of state funding to universities hasn’t increased since 2008 and remains at levels below the Great Recession, officials said.

Last year, while 42 states started to restore some of reductions made during the recession, Kansas was among eight states that continued to cut, according to a report by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

Some of those cuts were restored during the recently completed legislative session, but not all.

State university leaders also acknowledged that state government is facing a revenue crunch. Tax revenue for April was $93 million below expectations, and individual income tax receipts have dropped dramatically because of income tax rate cuts implemented by Gov. Sam Brownback.

And the school leaders said they anticipated that future state funding will be based more on performance and outcomes as dollars tighten up.

Kansas University Provost Jeff Vitter said it is important that legislative leaders and higher education officials come to an agreement on what should be measured.

During the meeting of the System Council of Presidents, Kansas Board of Regents President and CEO Andy Tompkins also said Brownback wants two-year budget proposals from the schools to consider before submitting his budget plan to the Legislature in January.