2026 Legislative Report on System Efficiency, Access, and District Structure

Legislative Report

Washington's community and technical colleges play a vital role in expanding educational opportunities, preparing a skilled workforce, and contributing to regional economic growth across the state. As the needs of students, employers, and communities continue to evolve, the Legislature directed the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) to look at ways to improve efficiency while maintaining student access and success.

The 2026 supplemental operating budget directs SBCTC to submit a report to the governor and Legislature on December 1, 2026. The report will:

Identify opportunities to reduce costs and duplication that do not clearly support student success.
Consider regional access, including college locations, multi-campus districts, and potential impacts on students.
Review the current district structure and its impact on operations and student success.

SEADS Work Group

To support this effort, SBCTC established the System Efficiency, Access, and District Structure (SEADS) Work Group. The work group serves as an advisory body to the SBCTC State Board and is responsible for developing recommendations that:

Improve efficiency.
Streamline costs and administrative processes.
Protect access.
Strengthen student success across the CTC system.

The purpose of the work group is to offer systemwide recommendations for consideration by the SBCTC State Board.

Fifteen people make up the SEADS Work Group. SBCTC staff support the work group, and The Athena Group, a contracted partner, facilitates meetings. Work group members include:

SBCTC State Board members
College presidents and a district chancellor
College trustees
Student representative
Labor/business and industry partners
SBCTC executive director

Members represent rural, urban, and suburban communities in Washington. SBCTC selected members to bring a range of professional experiences and perspectives from across the CTC system and the people it serves.

The SEADS Work Group uses these questions to guide their discussions and recommendations:

Are there opportunities to reduce duplication or costs that do not clearly support student success? If so, where?
How does the current district structure support or affect college operations and student success?
Where could collaboration, shared services, or other changes improve efficiency while preserving access?
What regional factors should be considered before making recommendations?
What recommendations are actionable, and who has the authority to implement them?

Together, these questions will help the work group develop recommendations that improve efficiency while supporting student success and maintaining access across Washington.

In addition to the above questions, the SEADS Work Group adopted these guiding principles, which shape how members approach the work and engage with each other.

The role
The work group provides advice and recommendations to support the long-term success of Washington's community and technical college system. While the group does not make final decisions, it helps inform the SBCTC State Board's consideration of future opportunities and challenges.

What guides the work
The work group will guide its recommendations with a commitment to student success, access, equity, quality, and stewardship of public resources. Members will consider both statewide priorities and regional needs while focusing on outcomes for students and communities.

Working together
The work group is committed to collaborative, evidence-based discussion. Members will engage openly and respectfully, consider different perspectives, ask challenging questions, and work toward thoughtful recommendations that support the long-term health of the CTC system.

Communication
The work group will promote transparency while respecting the need for appropriate confidentiality during discussions. To support this principle, SBCTC will share regular updates on this webpage.

How recommendations become action
The work group will clearly distinguish between recommendations it can make and actions that would require decisions by the SBCTC State Board, colleges, policymakers, or other partners. This helps ensure recommendations are realistic, transparent, and actionable.

Between now and the end of 2026, the SEADS Work Group will meet regularly. They are conducting this work with an open and objective approach, without any predetermined decisions or outcomes. The timeline below outlines the group's planned areas of focus.

2026 timeline

Date	Areas of focus
June	Launch SEADS Work Group
July	Guiding principles, baseline system profile, efficiency, and redundancy
August	Access, geography, and regional impacts
Early fall	District structure and governance
Mid-fall	Factual accuracy, feasibility, and implementation risks
November	Finalize recommendations

Information within this table may change.

What happens after the report

After submitting the report, the SBCTC State Board, governor, Legislature, colleges, and other partners will determine whether and how to act on the recommendations.

Read an efficiency report from 2011.