The two colleges in Plattsburgh are in serious budget crunches. SUNY Plattsburgh is scrambling to save $1.4 million, and Clinton Community College officials say they might have to lay off two full time faculty members.

The two professors are in the history and communications departments. This month they were given notice that their positions might be eliminated at the end of the academic year – though the financial picture could change, and the decision isn’t final yet.

“They’re difficult decisions but we have to recognize where we’re seeing declining enrollments,” said Lisa Shovan, the interim officer in charge at CCC. She said enrollment is down across the board, not just in those two departments. This fall, the college saw the overall head count drop by roughly 12 percent over last year, or 221 students.

Students are the main source of revenue for Clinton. Shovan guesses if 40 more people enrolled by next year, the college might not have to cut any jobs. She’s also waiting to see how much state aid the college will receive. Even a hundred dollars per student would be a huge help, she said.

In the meantime, she said, this is just a rough patch. “There’s momentum in various ways that are positive.”

She points to the college’s Advanced Manufacturing Institute, a high tech training facility set to open in about a year; anew president, Ray Di Pasquale starts in January, Ray Di Pasquale; and the school has some new online courses. Shovan hopes all this will boost enrollment.

SUNY Plattsburgh is also struggling. The college is planning to cut its current budget by about two percent, or $1.4 million over the course of the next year.

Administrators are still figuring out exactly where to make the cuts. Spokesman Ken Knelly said there will be no layoffs. Instead, some open positions will be cut or left unfilled. New purchases will be limited.

SUNY Plattsburgh officials are also working on a number of strategies to increase their enrollment.President John Ettling sees hope in one of the college’s most popular programs: teacher education.

“We have a terrific teacher education program here. The fact that there are half as many students in our teacher education programs now as there were five or six years ago is an anomaly. And there’s already a teacher shortage in the North Country and across the state. So we will prepare teachers, once young men and women in high school now come to realize that it’s an honorable and a good profession to go into. We’ll rebound and that will be what leads us,” Ettling said.

He said $1.4 million may sound like a lot to cut, but the college has seen tough budget times before, and he’s hopeful.