Faced with a $2.8 billion shortfall for 2010, Washington State is looking at significant budget cuts, raised taxes, and services terminated.
After intense arguing and struggling, consuming the whole 3 months allotted to the legislature to create a budget, the newly created budget has been passed and now sits on Governor Christine Gregoire's desk waiting to be signed.
Washington State has two main budgets; one of them is the capital budget and the other operating budget. The capital budget hasn't passed yet with the proposals mounting, while the operating budget passed on April 12.
Budget cuts hit K-12, higher education, and state services. State agencies are directed to save around another $50 million by reducing employee's wages.
K-12 will suffer from a $120 million cut, which means problems such as fewer teachers, bigger class sizes among many others. Lawmakers cut $79 million for class reduction. Education advocates say that these cuts are really going to hurt.
$73 million will be cut from state's universities and community colleges. This cut will affect much of the college, including reduction in administrative services, course offerings, and student support services.
This cut will serve to undermine state's goal for higher education. The state's Strategic Master Plan for Higher Education aims to increase degree production to meet the demand for college-educated workers, but this cut will augment the problem.
In addition to the $73 million reduction for the higher education, there will be $7.4 million reduction in State Work Study program, second largest need-based program and $4 million reduction in Health scholarships.
Though these changes will be initiated during summer of 2010, worries, anxiety and concern is on the rise on Green River Community College (GRCC) campus. "It really doesn't make me happy; the mountain climb of paying for college has just gotten harder!" said Paul Mulyar. The above statement fairly reflects the mood on GRCC campus.
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