Excerpt from the Dayton Daily News
Wright State University’s budget is showing signs of improvement but recent enrollment declines threaten to spoil some of the progress made in the school’s finances.
Wright State is expected to produce a budget surplus for the second year in a row as the school continues climbing out of a financial crisis.
The university estimates it will be able to add around $5.8 million to its reserve fund by the end of the fiscal year on June 30. The savings is around $2.8 million more than the $3 million Wright State’s budget calls for the school to save this year.
While the surplus is cause for celebration, the university community should remain cautious because of enrollment issues and the need to further boost reserves, said Doug Fecher, chairman of the WSU board of trustees.
“To get two surpluses in a row I think reflects the hard work of the whole university,” Fecher said. “But I also don’t think we ought to rest on it. We still have the enrollment challenges we’ve talked about and we need to get the entire organization to focus on revenue.”
