Lincoln – Nebraska officials will likely have to wait at least another few months to learn how much the coronavirus has cut into the state’s revenue and budget, Gov. Pete Ricketts said last Friday.

Ricketts said state officials are starting to look at what they might need to do to continue providing state services, but he offered few specifics.

“We really have to get a couple more months under our belt to see what the impact to our revenue is going to be,” he said at his weekday coronavirus news conference. “We know there will be an impact.”

State revenue came in higher than expected in March despite a surge in unemployment, but officials have warned that the monthly reports haven’t yet captured the damage done to the state economy by the coronavirus pandemic and the widespread layoffs and business cutbacks it caused. The April revenue report, expected next week, is likely to show a sharp downturn.

Ricketts noted that Nebraska entered the pandemic in a strong financial position, with revenues about $300 million higher than expected in the current fiscal year and a cash reserve fund that had been projected to be $647.5 million. Even so, he said that he and the Legislature will probably have to make changes.

Nebraska lawmakers approved $83.6 million in emergency funding for the state’s virus response in March. Ricketts has said he’s hopeful that the money could get replenished with federal pandemic assistance.

Meanwhile, the state’s education commissioner said Nebraska schools that are closed due to the pandemic should be able to reopen on schedule this fall.

Commissioner Matt Blomstedt said opening dates would depend on local health conditions, the Omaha World-Herald reported.

“I do think that there will be areas of the state that will be able to keep pretty much their regular calendar intact, and I think that’s what folks are interested in,” Blomstedt said. “But we are also asking schools to be very thoughtful about digital and remote learning as we continue down that path.”