WSU announces budget cuts to deal with $30M deficit

Washington State University is announcing big budget cuts to reduce an estimated $30 million annual deficit.

School President Kirk Schulz announced the cuts in an online statement Monday evening.

The Spokesman-Review said each department at all five of WSU’s campuses has been instructed to reduce spending by 2.5 percent in fiscal 2018. Schulz hopes that shaves $10 million from the deficit.

Schulz said jobs in many departments are being eliminated, although he did not specify how many.

He also said WSU’s Performing Arts program will be eliminated at the end of this performance season.

WSU spokesman Phil Weiler said the Pullman-based university should break even in three years if it sticks to the plan of spending $10 million less each year. He stressed that more changes are expected.