"This is something that was not the fault of the state board or colleges," board chair Martin Valadez told The Washington State Standard. "This money has already basically been spent."
David Schumacher, former director of the OFM, emphasized that addressing the error will require action by lawmakers to retrieve the money through budget cuts in 2025.
The Office of Financial Management indicates that a budgeting miscue resulted in funds being duplicated, leading to the difficult decision to unallocate funds from community colleges.
Community colleges have integrated the anticipated $28.5 million into their budgets, and its removal could trigger hiring freezes and program closures.
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