Shoreline Community College contemplates cuts in view of budget shortfall

Photo by Jared Solano

Due to the State’s $8.8 billion loss in revenue as a result of COVID-19 pandemic, Shoreline Community College is preparing to meet an unanticipated, permanent loss of up to $7.3 million in state funding and tuition revenue for the 2020-21 fiscal year. 

In these very difficult budgetary times, this expected reduction will require the College, like most Washington community and technical colleges, to become smaller and re-think how we do our work. 

Specific budget reductions will be announced in September and October 2020, with the Board of Trustees voting on the final 2020-21 budget at their October 28th meeting.

In spring and summer of 2020, some actions were taken to begin addressing the budget reductions needed for the 2020-21 year. 

Five administrative positions and three annual (temporary) faculty contracts were not renewed for the 2020-21 academic year. A limited number of temporary staff layoffs occurred in revenue-dependent programs that were unable to continue in the summer because of COVID-19. 

In addition, the 3% Cost of Living Adjustment salary increase for all administrators at the College was not implemented for the 2020-21 year. These changes resulted in nearly $1 million in savings toward the potential $7.3 million shortfall expected in state funding and tuition revenue.

Over the summer, Shoreline’s Executive Team has also continued to collect additional financial data, to carefully review solutions identified by employees in a recent budget survey and evaluate various scenarios to determine how to make the necessary reductions with the least impact on students and employees. 

These decisions surrounding budget reductions are extremely difficult to make and the College continues to take great care in determining the best course forward under severe economic constraints.