WENATCHEE – Wenatchee Valley College enrollment is down 2.1 percent for fall quarter, continuing a ten-year trend of declining enrollments.

WVC President Jim Richardson met with employees in October to discuss enrollment issues and budget impacts.

Significant factors for the decline in enrollment include low unemployment and smaller incoming high school classes. Since 2010, enrollment in career and technical programs has declined 30%.

“Due to continued low unemployment rates, more people are choosing work over coming to college,” Richardson said.

Smaller high school class sizes directly impacted Running Start. This is the first year since 1993, when the program began at WVC, that fewer students enrolled.

College administrators have been analyzing revenue and expenses since early September when a more significant enrollment decline began. A faculty budget review taskforce will be assembled and administrators will be meeting with employee groups to discuss options.

Currently, 6,289 students are projected to enroll in academic, workforce and other programs this academic year.

The community college has campuses both in Wenatchee and Omak.