GREENFIELD — With Greenfield Community College’s state aid now projected to be approximately $300,000 higher than originally budgeted, school leaders say no union personnel, including faculty and support staff, will need to be laid off to balance the budget for fiscal year 2027.
The draft of the state budget currently includes $16.4 million for GCC, approximately $300,000 more than the college had originally anticipated receiving for the year. While the state budget has not yet been finalized by a conference committee that is tasked with reconciling the differences between the House and Senate versions, before it is sent back to the governor for final approval, GCC’s Executive Vice President of Operations and Finance Karen Phillips said she is hopeful GCC will get the full amount.
“We found out at the beginning of May some good news,” Phillips said. “In the budget that is out now, the state has a higher number for GCC than we projected, and in the governor’s, House and Senate budgets, they all had the same number. … It’s pretty definite we’ll get that number.
“It definitely helped us a lot this year,” Phillips added. “That alone has been able to save us six positions.”
In earlier drafts of the FY27 budget, the college had anticipated needing to cut 15 positions to reduce a $1.6 million deficit. This had started as a $2.86 million deficit, prior to cost-saving measures such as offering early retirement incentives.
Phillips said that structural reorganization of academic programs and services, increased state aid and the elimination of management positions will allow the college to balance the budget without eliminating teaching positions. She added that other cost-saving measures included consolidating academic departments, increasing class sizes to the full contractually allowed amounts, and decreasing the number of course releases, which are contractual breaks given to eligible faculty that “release” them from some of their teaching obligations to complete other duties.
Instead, three non-union management positions will be eliminated, and two vacant positions that fall under the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) will not be filled.
In a statement on Wednesday afternoon, GCC President Michelle Schutt said the affected staff will receive transitional support and the college will continue to work with its unions, the AFSCME and Greenfield Community College Professional Association.
“This is an extraordinarily difficult decision because of the impact it has on valued colleagues,” Schutt said. “Throughout this process, we have worked carefully to reduce the number of layoffs as much as possible while ensuring the long-term financial sustainability of the college.”
While the budget is balanced for FY27, Phillips said the college will need to look at how to prioritize and cut spending, as well as develop and invest in revenue-generating programs.
“We know it’s going to be challenging for the next couple of years,” Phillips said. “We’re gonna be here. We’ve got strong reserves we’ve been able to build over the past few years that we can lean into. … I’m very hopeful in terms of the future of this campus.”
Phillips said she hopes the GCC board of trustees will approve borrowing against the college’s reserves for the strategic plan, as well as for information technology (IT) capital improvements that would allow the college to better position itself for financial stability.
Trevor Kearns, a member of the English Department and president of the GCC Professional Association, said he is pleased that the administration has agreed to cut administrative positions as opposed to the earlier proposed layoffs of teachers, but he and his colleagues are not reassured that further cuts won’t be made.
“I’m glad the administration agreed with us that we had a top-heavy administration and are eliminating some management positions,” Kearns said. “But trust is at an all-time low with this administration. We’re not convinced that there’s not going to be additional layoffs. … We’re all just kind of holding our breath.”
In May, union members issued a no-confidence vote in Schutt, the second vote of no confidence taken since she took the helm of the college in 2022. Eighty-six ballots were cast during the May vote, and 89.5% voted no confidence. Of eligible voters, dues-paying members, 70% participated in the vote.
Kearns added that faculty members feel resigned to the changes in work capacity, but he still feels the changes are “a mistake” that would negatively impact staff and students.
“They’re essentially adding 20% for all full-time faculty members’ workload,” Kearns said. “At GCC, we’re the reason we’re the No. 1 community college in the state. It’s because of the professional staff, because of the faculty, and the commitment to student success. … I’m worried and my colleagues are worried we’re not going to be able to provide that personal touch.”
In Schutt’s statement, the college administration said that the decisions made are responses to the reality rural colleges face, including declining enrollment, rising costs and state funding that does not cover the full cost of educating students.
“Our focus remains firmly on students and on the college’s future,” Schutt said. “These
decisions were made thoughtfully and only after significant efforts to identify other savings wherever possible.”
