The community and technical college system (CTCS) has requested a 2023–25 budget that would increase its general fund–state (GFS) spending by $622.9 million (39.5%). Compensation items account for 50.8% of the maintenance and policy level changes in the request.

First, the request estimates that funding the Initiative 732 cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for the biennium would increase GFS spending by $107.1 million in 2023–25 and $163.5 million in 2025–27. The I-732 COLA was approved by voters in 2000, but it has not always been funded by the Legislature. The first chart shows the appropriations for the I-732 COLA for CTCS employees. The current request would be the largest. That said, the estimated amounts could be an understatement of the cost. They assume increases in the consumer price index (CPI) of 7.8% in CY 2022 and 3.5% in CY 2023 (based on the June revenue forecast). The September forecast increased the CPI forecast for those years to 8.7% and 3.9%.

Second, the request would increase GFS appropriations by $157.3 million in 2023–25 and $212.0 million in 2025–27 to increase faculty and administrative staff compensation by 6.5% each year. The request argues that CTCS salaries “are consistently lower than peer states averages and in the K–12 system.” (Meanwhile, the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction has also requested significant compensation increases for K–12 school employees.)

Third, the request would fund collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) with Highline College and Yakima Valley College ($2.1 million in 2023–25 and $2.3 million in 2025–27). These two colleges are not part of the coalition that bargains with the governor’s office, so these amounts are in addition to the $27.9 million in 2023–25 and $30.1 million in 2025–27 that the CBAs with other community college staff will cost. (The CTCS budget request does not include the cost of the CBAs negotiated with the governor’s office.) The CBAs with Highline and Yakima Valley generally include salary increases of 4% in 2024 and 3% in 2025, like the CBAs with other community colleges.

Other GFS policy requests from CTCS include:

• $93.0 million in 2023–25 and $79.6 million in 2025–27 to “develop a technology and learning infrastructure” for online and hybrid learning.
• $77.2 million in 2023–25 and $77.2 million in 2025–27 for workforce and high-demand courses and programs.

(Previous posts on agency budget requests are here.)