Error by state budget writers could cost WA community colleges a bundle

Washington State Capitol (Laurel Demkovich/Washington State Standard)

Leaders of Washington’s community college system are vowing to fight the potential loss of $28.5 million in state funds due to a budget miscue by the governor and state lawmakers.

On Monday, in a special meeting, members of the state Board for Community and Technical Colleges warned of layoffs and program cuts if they are unsuccessful.

“This is something that was not the fault of the state board or colleges,” board chair Martin Valadez said. “This money has already basically been spent.”

Last month, the Office of Financial Management informed officials at the state Board for Community and Technical Colleges that a $28,527,000 appropriation had been “duplicated” in the current budget and “needs to be unallocated to colleges,” according to a memo to board members.

In an Aug. 22 letter, former OFM Director David Schumacher said that “to address the error” Gov. Jay Inslee will seek to get the money back in the 2025 supplemental budget. To do so will ultimately require action by lawmakers and the next governor.

In the meantime, the state board voted Monday to submit a budget request that would keep community colleges financially whole through either an increase in the system’s base funding or with a boost in its College Affordability Program appropriation. That program requires community colleges to be compensated for revenue lost from the 5% tuition cut passed in 2015.

“We’re not asking for more money. We’re just asking that they maintain the same level of appropriations that the Legislature provided in this biennial budget,” said Stephanie Winner, the Board for Community and Technical Colleges’ operating budget director.

There will be consequences at Washington’s 34 public community and technical colleges if the effort is unsuccessful, officials said.

“It’s a major problem. No doubt about it,” said Paul Francis, the board’s executive director.

Community colleges factored the dollars into budgets to cover operations. Many entered into new collective bargaining agreements with employees and launched new programs based on the appropriations approved by the Legislature, Winner told the board.

If $28.5 million is cut, reductions would range from around $323,000 at small, rural colleges up to $2.7 million for larger institutions, she estimated. Hiring freezes or layoffs, delays of new programs, and possible closure of programs could occur, she said.

“This money really helped pay the bills,” said Amy Morrison, president of Lake Washington Institute of Technology. The loss will have a “very serious impact to our colleges if it is not remedied this session.”

What happened? When budget writers crafted the 2021-23 spending plan, they appropriated money for a cost-of-living adjustment for faculty of community and technical colleges as required by Initiative 732, a measure approved by voters in 2000.

Because Washington requires spending to be accounted for over a four-year period, they also put in amounts for salary adjustments in the 2024 and 2025 fiscal years. Those placeholders were to be replaced with updated figures by writers of the 2023-25 budget. That didn’t happen. Instead, the placeholder and newer salary appropriations are in the spending plan.

“It was missed throughout all the processes,” Winner said, adding they are looking for ways to make sure this doesn’t happen again.

Board members said legislators need to be made aware of the consequence of what’s envisioned.

“The ball is in the Legislature’s court. They can just take it away, say ‘Oops we made a mistake’,” said member Jay Reich. “We’re saying, look you made a mistake but we relied on that mistake and therefore that money you inadvertently gave us, we want it back.”