(AP) – State officials have been left to speculate about President Barack Obama’s plans for a visit this week to the University of Kansas as they wait to hear more details.

The White House confirmed Monday that Obama is planning an official event Friday at the university but provided no other information. University spokesman Jack Martin said it had no details.

Kansas Democratic Party Chairwoman Joan Wagnon said the White House told state party officials that it was looking for a site that could hold 3,000 to 6,000 people for a midday event.

But Wagnon said she still hasn’t received any details about the purpose of Obama’s visit.

Kansas is a Republican stronghold, and the Democratic president received 38 percent of the state’s vote in winning re-election last year.

A one-vehicle accident north of Kensington killed a Thunder Ridge high school student and sent three of his classmates to the hospital on Monday afternoon.

According to the Kansas Highway Patrol, Riley Reneberg, 16, of Kensington died due to injuries caused in an accident where Ethan Sarr, 16, of Kensington was driving a 2005 Chevy Silverado pickup on Smith County Road 160 one mile north of Kensington when he lost control of the pickup and it rolled multiple times.

Sarr and Reneberg were ejected from the pickup, along with two other passengers,  Michael Wagenblast, 15, of Athol; and Logan Miller, 16, of Kensington. Two of the passengers were riding in the bed of the truck.

Sarr was taken to Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney, Nebraska; Wagenblast and Miller were taken to Smith County Hospital in Smith Center; and Reneberg died at the scene.

None of the teenagers were wearing their seatbelts.

Kansas Governor Sam Brownback announced Monday he will meet with state university leaders and students in the coming weeks to emphasize his support of his proposed budgets for Kansas universities, community colleges and technical schools.

“I believe the state must live within its means and recognize there are difficult spending decisions we must make. This is why my administration has worked to reform state agencies so they are more efficient and effective,” Gov. Brownback said. “However, there are core responsibilities that we must protect – higher education is one of them. My proposed two-year budget holds higher education harmless and includes targeted funding important to our state’s economic growth. I have challenged education leaders to focus their schools on improving student results. It is important we keep state funding level.”

The Governor is tentatively scheduled to visit the following campuses:

· April 22nd – Wichita State University
Butler Community College
· April 23rd – Washburn University/Washburn Institute of Technology
· April 24th – Pittsburg State University
· April 25th – University of Kansas School of Medicine
Kansas City Kansas Community College
· April 26th – Emporia State University
· May 6th – Kansas State University

Governor Brownback also emphasized the importance of continuing the momentum the state has gained in his goals to increase the number of high school students who are career and college ready through the Career and Technical Education program (CTE) launched this school year.

“For Kansas to compete in the marketplace and help businesses meet their workforce needs, we established a way students could immediately have a marketable skill to begin their career or to get a job that will help pay their way through college. Cutting funding for the community and technical colleges that support the CTE program would hinder students from obtaining industry-recognized credentials by the time they graduate from high school and diminish the workforce pool for businesses,” Brownback said.

Details of these and other campus visits will be released as soon as they are finalized.

U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) issued the following statement today in the aftermath of two blasts at Boston Marathon finish line, which left at least two dead and at more than 100 injured:

“My prayers are with all those injured and killed by the terror attacks in Boston, and I am grateful for the emergency responders and bystanders who acted quickly to help. Our first responsibility is to secure the support the victims and their families will need in the days and months ahead. We must identify those who committed this cowardly act, as well as those who encourage them through actions or silence, and hold them fully accountable for their crimes.”