SCC’s Multi-Year Budget Reduction Plan

SCC has faced the challenging task of realizing an approximately $9 million reduction over a 5-year implementation period. The first year was completed with a total of $1.7 million in reduction for the 2025-26 fiscal year. The college, through  College Budget Advisory Council  (CBAC)  and the Strategic Planning and Allocating Resource Committee (SPARC), chose to address the remaining years thoughtfully and strategically, by developing a multi-year reduction plan totalling $4 million to be implemented by July 1, 2028.

$3 million of this plan will be used to reduce SCC’s budget. Another $1 million in the plan will be reallocated to current underfunded expenses to create a healthier budget.

Additionally, SCC’s strategy to fully realize the reduction includes additional revenue from enrollment growth, increased property tax revenue to the District, and other future-focused changes that would advantage SCC in the model.

This plan represents hard work and hard decisions, reached through shared governance and collaborative processes, to realize this reduction and ensure that SCC can serve students well, achieve our strategic goals, and be operationally effective. Given that 85% of SCC's budget funds personnel expenses, this plan does impact people. It was a priority of CBAC and our leaders across the campus to limit this impact as much as possible. We have included information below about the resources available for impacted employees.

CBAC was presented with historically adopted budget and expenditure data across the College’s primary divisions: Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, Administrative Services, and the President’s Office. By applying proportional budget distributions to the overall reduction target, CBAC was able to identify preliminary reduction ranges for each division to consider when developing strategies.

While this proportional approach provided a reasonable starting point, it did not fully reflect SCC’s strategic priorities or peer comparisons within the District.

Below is a summary of divisional expense distribution from the most recent fiscal year compared to the average of other Maricopa colleges:

Given the slightly higher distribution of funding in Academic Affairs and Administrative Services relative to peer averages, these divisions were encouraged to consider this context when developing reduction strategies. The intent was to ensure that divisions already operating below peer funding distributions did not lose further ground.

The goal was to implement intentional, targeted strategies rather than broad, sweeping cuts.

A high priority was placed on vacant positions. While many vacancies will need to be filled to maintain operations and meet student needs, vacant lines provide an opportunity to reduce expenses without directly impacting permanently filled positions. Additionally, vacant positions create on-going cost increases given that the District does not fund board-approved compensation increases each year for vacant lines.

Vacancies alone do not account for the entire reduction plan. The remaining strategies reflect a comprehensive effort to:

• Preserve student-facing services

• Improve operational efficiency

• Align resources with strategic priorities

• Position SCC strongly within the District environment

Our objective was not simply to reduce spending, but to make thoughtful adjustments that strengthen the College’s long-term sustainability and ability to serve students with excellence.

SCC has been committed to transparency, collaboration, and robust shared governance throughout the development of the budget reduction plan. Strategies were identified and refined through established governance structures to ensure broad representation and thoughtful review.

The College Budget Advisory Committee (CBAC) served as the initial shared governance body responsible for reviewing and recommending the plan. Recommendations from CBAC were forwarded to SPARC for additional review and endorsement before being presented to the President’s Cabinet and ultimately to Dr. Leshinskie for final consideration. The membership of these representative groups is provided below.

Several cross-functional teams guided the development of specific strategies, which can be reviewed here.

Peer comparison data also informed the process. Budget allocations by function at SCC were compared to those of our sister colleges within the District. Paradise Valley Community College (PV) was used as a primary peer institution due to similarities in size and market context.

Understanding SCC’s relative budget positioning within the District is important, as comparative data is frequently used in District-level prioritization and resource allocation discussions. While peer comparisons helped inform discussions about options and potential efficiencies, they were considered as one input among many. Final decisions were based on a holistic review of financial data, operational impact, student success considerations, and institutional priorities.

Given that this is a long-term plan, the intention is to take time to implement some of the reductions, especially the reductions that impact people in positions. Reductions with limited impact can be pursued earlier in the plan, and those with larger impacts will require more time and be realized in the third year of the plan.

Timeline for Plan Implementation 

SCC’s budget reduction strategy includes $3 million in permanent budget reductions and an additional $1 million in internal reallocations. These actions are designed to advance College in fulfilling its obligations under the MCCCD budget model and position SCC for long-term fiscal sustainability.

Whether additional reductions will be necessary depends on several key assumptions and external factors:

Enrollment Growth -  The plan assumes that SCC’s enrollment continues to grow. SCC has set a target annual headcount of 13,550 students. In the last academic year, SCC’s annual headcount was 11,766. Fall 2025 headcount increased 8% over the prior year, and that positive trend continued into Spring 2026.

While current trends suggest progress toward our growth target, enrollment performance directly impacts revenue under the District budget model. If growth does not materialize as projected, additional budget adjustments may be required. Enrollment trends and projections will be closely monitored to inform future planning.

Property Tax Revenue - As property values in Maricopa County increase, MCCCD’s property tax collections have also grown. Continued strength in this revenue source supports overall District funding levels and contributes to SCC’s ability to meet its financial targets. A slowdown or decline in property tax growth could create additional fiscal pressure.

Budget Model Adjustments - The MCCCD budget model is still evolving. As implementation continues, SCC will actively advocate for adjustments that promote equitable and sustainable funding across the District. Any refinements to the model may affect SCC’s long-term financial outlook.

Continued Strategic Staffing Planning - SCC has strengthened its focus on Strategic Staffing Planning, intentionally evaluating how vacancies resulting from attrition and retirements can be leveraged to meet emerging needs and strategic priorities. This ongoing work increases flexibility and reduces the likelihood of abrupt reductions in the future.

CBAC will continue to monitor SCC’s fiscal position and evaluate our strategies to ensure the College maintains a healthy, efficient, and sustainable budget. While no institution can guarantee that future adjustments will never be necessary, this plan is intended to position SCC to be aligned for several years with the expectations of the new budget model.

SCC has historically carried recurring annual expenses that are essential to ongoing operations, but have not always been fully supported through permanent adopted budget lines. These non-discretionary costs include items such as insurance premiums, critical college software, and accreditation-related expenses.

As part of the budget reduction strategy, $1 million was identified for internal reallocation to begin structurally addressing these needs. The goal is to move high-priority, recurring expenses into permanent adopted line items, creating a healthier and more transparent base budget.

CBAC will develop the criteria and process used to determine how the $1 million in reallocated funds will be distributed. To inform this work, CBAC has compiled a list of underfunded and unfunded recurring needs based on:

• Input from Executive Leadership

• Historical budget and expenditure analysis

• Requests submitted through the Annual Planning Resource Request Process

This information will be used to develop a prioritized list of recurring line items that require permanent budget support.

The campus community will be informed as the criteria and prioritization process are finalized and implemented.

Where permanent position impacts are occurring in the plan, informal conversations have taken place between leaders and the impacted individuals or groups of individuals. If you are one of these individuals, please work with your division leadership and supervisor to better understand the timeline related to the impacts with your position. Your supervisor can guide you in exploring available resources and provide the most accurate and up to date information.

If your position will be impacted by the plan, we have a number of resources available for you. Below is a summary of the resources available. Please reach out to SCC's HR team to learn more!

Additional Revelant Resources

Please join us for the upcoming Town Hall Meeting to discuss the plan and ask questions. 

The event is scheduled for Thursday April 2, 2026 from 1:00 - 2:30 in ICC 221-222.

Additionally: 

• You can submit questions or comments by emailing budget@scottsdalecc.edu 

• Or anonymous questions and input from be provided here: https://tinyurl.com/SCCbudgetinput

Now that the budget reduction plan has been identified, CBAC’s role shifts from strategy development to stewardship and oversight.

CBAC will:

• Monitor implementation of the approved strategies

• Review progress toward financial targets

• Identify and recommend priorities for internal reallocations within the plan

In addition, CBAC will focus on strengthening SCC’s overall budget framework. This includes developing a more sustainable fiscal strategy and improving the transparency, clarity, and usability of the College’s budget structure so it is easier for campus stakeholders to understand and engage with.

As this work progresses, updates will be shared regularly with the campus community. CBAC’s ongoing charge is not only to support fiscal stability, but to help ensure that SCC’s budget reflects our strategic priorities and supports long-term institutional health.