HACC cuts 87 jobs

Harrisburg Area Community College is cutting 87 filled jobs and selling two buildings at its York campus as it tries to close a widening budget gap. (hacc.edu) The college said April 10 that it also eliminated 41 vacant positions and retrenched two faculty members after its board adopted a $128 million operating budget for 2026-27 on April 7. (hacc.edu) Harrisburg Area Community College said the budget could have produced a deficit of nearly $10 million without cuts, and that the plan reduces that shortfall to about $5 million for 2026-27. (hacc.edu) College officials tied the reductions to three straight years of flat state appropriations, a projected 1.8% enrollment decline, an 11% increase in employee health care costs and higher operating expenses tied to inflation. (hacc.edu) The York campus sale covers the CYTEC building and the William F. Goodling Center, where “for sale” signs went up in early April. Harrisburg Area Community College told Fox43 it is not planning to shut down the York campus and said programs and services from those buildings can be consolidated elsewhere. (fox43.com) Fox43 reported that the CYTEC building is listed for more than $5 million through Campbell Commercial Partners, while the college said sale proceeds would be used to cover debt and reduce other costs. (fox43.com) The cuts reach beyond staffing. Harrisburg Area Community College said some academic programs will be folded into broader concentrations, and some others will stop taking new students starting in fall 2026, though current students can finish their credentials. (local21news.com) The 2026-27 budget also projects $1.98 million less revenue than the prior year, which the college said is mainly due to lower enrollment expectations. Sponsored in-state tuition will stay flat, while non-sponsored in-state tuition will rise by $1.50 per credit hour. (hacc.edu) A York campus faculty leader, Christine Nowik, told Fox43 that staff learned in an April 8 meeting that the Goodling building was for sale, and she said employees were waiting to see evidence that the consolidation would work as promised. (fox43.com) Harrisburg Area Community College said it wants to return to a structurally balanced budget by 2027-28. For now, the college is shrinking its workforce, reducing its footprint in York and betting those steps will steady its finances without disrupting students. (hacc.edu)