Why It Matters
The closure of a major public research institution highlights the severe fiscal constraints facing Kansas higher education amid legislative budget reductions.
What Happened
Fort Hays State University President Tisa Mason announced that the Sternberg Museum of Natural History will close to the public in mid-December. The decision follows a $2.4 million reduction in state funding for the university during the 2026 legislative session.
Museum faculty and staff will remain employed through the current academic year. Their primary duties will shift to reviewing collections and collaborating with external organizations regarding specimen handling and storage.
The museum, which houses more than three million paleontology, zoology, and geology specimens documenting Great Plains life, moved to its current concrete dome-shaped building adjacent to Interstate 70 in Hays approximately 25 years ago. The collection traces its roots to the early 1900s.
Mason stated that keeping the museum open would require about $1 million in new annual revenue in perpetuity. No individual, foundation, or government entity has stepped forward to underwrite those costs. Additionally, Fort Hays State University does not have access to local property or sales tax revenue to offset the shortfall.
By the Numbers
$20 million — Deferred maintenance at the Sternberg Museum building.
$1.3 million — Average annual expenditures for operating the museum.
$470,000 — Annual revenue generated by the museum.
$850,000 — Annual expenditure reduction achieved by closing the museum.
$2.4 million — Reduction in state funding received by FHSU during the 2026 session.
10% — Percentage by which the Kansas Legislature requested FHSU slash administrative costs.
$6 million — Amount of funding from China programs that could be jeopardized due to state restrictions.
$550,000 — Remaining known budget gap after museum closure and other cuts.
$6,713 — State funding per full-time equivalent student at Fort Hays State in FY 2025.
Zoom Out
The financial pressure on Fort Hays State is part of a broader disparity in state support across Kansas universities. In fiscal year 2025, Fort Hays State received $6,713 in state funding per full-time equivalent student. This figure is significantly lower than other state institutions.
Emporia State University received $19,379 per student, while the University of Kansas received $8,423. Wichita State University saw $10,421 per student, Pittsburg State University received $11,540, and Kansas State University received $11,664.
Beyond the museum closure, Fort Hays State has implemented several other cost-cutting measures. The university paused its men’s and women’s golf programs in June, froze a new entrepreneurship director position, and stopped hosting the Small Business Development Center. The president’s office was also reorganized with reduced staffing.
Tuition increases are currently earmarked to maintain academic programs rather than backfill operational deficits like the museum budget. State restrictions on higher education programs in China pose an additional risk, potentially jeopardizing up to $6 million in funding for the university.
What’s Next
The Sternberg Museum will cease public operations in mid-December. University administrators must continue addressing a remaining known budget gap of $550,000 after combining the museum closure with $1 million in other institutional cuts.