Peninsula College cuts to close $1.8M budget gap

Published 12:00 pm Wednesday, May 13, 2026

PORT ANGELES — Peninsula College finalized program cuts, staff reductions and administrative restructuring that President Suzy Ames said will close the college’s $1.8 million budget gap for the 2026-27 academic year.

The plan includes about $2.7 million in cuts and roughly $1 million in new investments in programs the college considers priorities, such as dental hygiene and K-8 teacher education.

The restructuring was prompted by a 6 percent decline in enrollment and significant reductions in state support.

Administrative office systems, paralegal, multimedia and Family Life Education programs will no longer be offered, while the automotive technology program will be put on hold as the college reviews its curriculum and recruitment efforts, Ames said.

The construction trades program, which had been eyed for elimination, will remain open.

“We’re thrilled to be able to keep it going,” Ames said. “The lead faculty member (Pat Nickerson) did a phenomenal job with a very quick curriculum redesign, which is going to allow the program to be a little bit shorter and more affordable for students.”

Community members had approached the college about ways to support the program to help ensure its sustainability as well, she said.

The college will implement furloughs for exempt and classified staff who earn more than $90,000 annually beginning in July, and it will cut 12 full-time positions through layoffs, retirements and leaving positions unfilled.

Layoffs were evaluated in coordination with administration, the Peninsula College Faculty Association and the Washington Federation of State Employees in High Education, which assigned a reduction-in-force committee to review proposed cuts, Ames said.

The RIF committee assessed programs based on community need, relevance to transfer and career pathways, enrollment demand, cost effectiveness, whether coursework is current with industry standards, alignment with other Peninsula College programs, and the percentage of underserved students enrolled.

The fate of some courses like journalism — which are taught in the multimedia program — are undecided.

“That is not a high-demand field for our students,” Ames said. “We are solely committed to providing education that’s going to lead to a well-paying, high-demand job.”

Ames said Peninsula College’s financial challenges stem from years of gradually declining state support for all 34 schools across the system.

“The community colleges have seen a slow erosion of funding that has finally reached an untenable level of budget cuts,” Ames said.

“Now we’ve reached a point where cumulatively they have reached a level where we can’t pay our bills anymore if we don’t take steps like we’re doing right now.”

The financial pressures facing community and technical colleges also have drawn attention in Olympia, where lawmakers this year ordered a study of potential consolidations aimed at improving efficiencies and reducing overlapping programs, services and administrative costs not directly tied to student success.

Peninsula College’s restructuring came as the college’s board of trustees approved a contract extension in April for Ames through 2031. Beginning July 1, her salary increase from $253,767 to $260,000 annually.

Ames acknowledged questions about executive pay as the college moves forward with broad cuts in programs in staffing.

“I have repeatedly advised the board to only give me cost-of-living increases that are mandated by the state while we get our college budget in order,” Ames said, noting that she is among the lowest-paid community college presidents in the system.

The college also is reorganizing leadership positions as part of its cost-cutting efforts. Ames said Vice President of Instruction Bruce Hattendorf will retire July 1, after which the college will merge that role and that of vice president of student services into a single position that is expected to save about $100,000 annually.

Athletic Director Rick Ross’ retirement this spring led the college to not to refill a full-time assistant athletic director position. Instead, it will use part of that funding for part-time game-management staff.

Ames said the changes will have no impact on athletic programs.

The college also is streamlining staffing across a number departments, including campus safety, custodial services, grounds, instruction, student support services, marketing, institutional research, faculty professional development and human resources.

“We have not left any stone unturned,” Ames said. “We are going to be the leanest, most-efficient college we could imagine.”

Students should not notice a difference in their overall college experience, she said.

“As a student, you can know that all the classes that you need to complete your job training or your transfer degree are still going to be right here, and you’ll still be able to graduate on time with wraparound support services to help you succeed along the way,” Ames said.

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Reporter Paula Hunt can be reached by email at paula.hunt@peninsuladailynews.com.