The community and technical college system (CTCS) is requesting $2.383 billion from the general fund–state (GFS) for 2025–27. This amount would be an increase of $475.0 million (24.9%) compared to enacted 2023–25 appropriations.

As the Washington State Standard reported in September, the Office of Financial Management (OFM) discovered that the CTCS inadvertently received $28 million more than it was supposed to for the I-732 cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) in 2023–25. OFM told the State Board of Community and Technical Colleges in August, “The Governor’s proposed second supplemental budget will include a step to recover this amount.” For the 2025 supplemental, the CTCS is requesting $27.9 million from the GFS in 2023–25 (and $55.8 million in 2025–27) to offset the reduction that is planned in the governor’s budget.

The duplication occurred because a placeholder for the I-732 COLA was included in the 2023–25 carry-forward level and then the actual COLA was included at the maintenance level in the original 2023–25 budget (without backing out the placeholder). (See the box at the bottom of this post for budget and fund terminology.)

It appears that the same duplication is present in the CTCS 2025–27 budget request: the CFL includes $71.7 million for the I-732 COLA and the ML includes a request for $69.0 million for the same purpose. Expect to see this issue ironed out in the governor’s budget proposals.

Another major ML request from the CTCS is $22.8 million in 2025–27 and $22.8 million in 2027–29 to fund building maintenance and operations from the GFS instead of the capital projects account. (Before 2003–05 and in 2009–11, the GFS was used for this purpose.)

At the policy level, the CTCS is requesting $183.3 million in 2025-27 and $246.9 million in 2027–29 to increase staff compensation by 6.5% a year (on top of the I-732 COLAs).

Another major requested new policy is $90.0 million in 2025–27 and $90.0 million in 2027–29 to support college operations. According to the request, “colleges must upgrade their technology infrastructure to accommodate more online learning, bolster cybersecurity, increase overall safety and security, and pay for increasingly expensive software subscriptions and leases. These unavoidable costs are consuming a greater share of college budgets.”

(Previous posts on 2025–27 agency requests are here. Our reports on the projected 2025–27 budget shortfall are here and here.)