Pierce Budget Squeeze Prompts Hiring Freeze

In the wake of a projected $1.8-million budget shortfall, officials at Pierce College on Tuesday announced a campuswide freeze on hiring and purchases that will last at least several weeks.

On Monday, Pierce administrators had weighed different cost-cutting options at a campus meeting but took no immediate action. But a day later, campus officials decided they needed to move more decisively, and interim President Jack Fujimoto agreed Tuesday.

As a result, the campus for at least the coming two weeks will basically halt hiring activities, which officials said is likely to affect five or six noninstructional jobs. And, officials said, purchase approvals will be frozen, except in cases of critical need.

Pierce officials conceded the need to move quickly because the college’s ability to save any money continues to decrease as the school year, now two-thirds complete, progresses. The hiring and purchasing freezes will be reconsidered at campus meetings in about two weeks.

The 14,500-student campus last year ran a record $1.9-million deficit. And college district officials recently projected a $1.8-million shortfall in Pierce’s $21.5-million budget this year. Officials blamed declining enrollments and the higher costs of operating the campus.