Enrollment at Centralia College is down, and while that won’t affect the school’s budget this year, it will impact the budget for the 2017-18 school year, but administrators hope it leaves them enough time to find a solution.
Based on the number of students attending the college, the school’s budget is up $90,000 for 2016-17 for a total of $12.2 million, but unless the school’s enrollment increases, it’ll drop by $475,000, down to about $11.7 million, for 2017-18.
During a presentation to the school’s faculty, College Vice President Steve Ward said the budget issues could be solved before they become a problem if enrollment numbers can be increased.
Ward said colleges around the state have seen declining enrollment numbers since 2010, but Centralia College’s numbers have dropped at a faster rate than the average.
The state determines funding to colleges and universities based on the number of full-time equivalent students (FTEs) two years in advance. But the financial value of students are determined through several formulas. Some of those give greater weight to students enrolled in STEM classes and those subject to the Student Achievement Initiative, which tracks how well students at Washington technical and community colleges accelerate through their educations and eventually earn degrees.
The college had 2,079 FTEs this year and predicts being down to 1,999 for the 2015-16 year, which starts in July.
The college has one of the most educated workforces in Lewis County. Part of the reason for sharing the information with the faculty was to get them thinking about ways the school can improve its prospects.
“This allows us to go, ‘Here’s what we’re facing, what do you guys think we can do?’” Ward said.
To change the trend, Ward said the school is focusing on recruiting new students and retaining the ones already enrolled by offering additional classes — especially in those weighted more heavily by the state.
In the short term, administrators plan to put greater emphasis on recruitment and marketing. Should the numbers not increase, then the college will likely resort to not filling positions after employees leave, rather than laying anyone off.
Another focus is improving how well the college meets the standards set by the Student Performance Initiative. According to Ward, Centralia College was the lowest performer in the state.
“It’s embarrassing to say .... it’s a point of concern for us,” he said.
Ward also said the school’s budget took a dive during the recession, but was able to fill gaps with tuition from students participating in the Running Start program. However, those funds aren’t connected to the state’s FTE allocations and aren’t as predictable as the FTE funding.
The college has time to improve things, and will have a clearer picture this time next year.
“In fall of 2016, we’ll know pretty well where we’re at,” he said.
