Now's the time to fix shortfalls in the state budget

The 60-day special session is in full swing, and legislators are working to fine-tune the two-year state budget they approved last June. The refining comes in the form of a “supplemental budget,” which is meant to fix errors and oversights in the underlying state budget or to respond to pressing needs. Filling budget shortfalls for community and technical colleges and the nearly 386,000 students they collectively serve should be a priority.

The two-year state budget included two very welcome policies. For the first time in state history, tuition was lowered by 5 percent. And for the first time since 2008, faculty and staff received state-funded cost of living adjustments along with other compensation increases.

We applaud legislators for making those bold decisions and the long, hard work it took to reach an agreement. The challenge, however, is that the budget underfunded those policies and left colleges to pay for the $12.88 million balance. So, while it looks like our state community and technical colleges received additional support for students and staff, they are, in effect, still experiencing budget cuts.

To make up the difference, colleges might be forced to delay or cut student programs and services. Big Bend Community College’s share amounts to a budget decrease of more than $160,000. This is a significant amount of money for a small college seeking to expand services to meet a growing demand for skilled workers locally.

Our community and technical colleges are slowly healing from the budget cuts of the Great Recession but the wounds are still there, and our community and technical college system remains underfunded.

Now is not the time to short-change the job-training and transfer opportunities offered at community and technical colleges. Employers need well-trained employees. People need access to an excellent education in places where they live and work — without a premium cost. Washington state needs more people to earn certificates and degrees in order to meet its education goals, remain competitive, and fill jobs with home-grown talent.

Community and technical colleges help fill all these needs. They train students to step into high-demand jobs right after they earn a certificate or two-year degree. They also make it possible for students to complete their first two years of college close to home and then transfer to a university as a junior. And for students who need extra help, two-year colleges offer adult basic education and pre-college courses to bring students up to speed.

Big Bend Community College, for example, operates one of the most successful commercial pilot training programs in the Pacific Northwest. Their alumni work as pilots for major airlines throughout the world. They also provide job training specifically designed for local employers in the carbon-fiber manufacturing, food processing, health care, and high-purity chemical production fields. Their transfer students shine at Central Washington University, Eastern Washington University, Washington State University, University of Washington, and other public universities in Washington and other states.

Combined, Washington’s 34 community and technical colleges promote the economy of our state by elevating the lives of the people who live here.

As our legislators prepare the supplemental budget, we encourage them to fix budget shortfalls. Otherwise, the impact will not only be felt by students and their families but also throughout our communities. Without an investment by the state Legislature, Washington is at risk of feeling the economic blow for years to come.

— Editorial Board