Gov. Chris Gregoire announced Wednesday that WSU would have to make another $13.55 million in budget cuts.

These numbers are not finalized, said Joan King, executive director of planning and budget.

“We have to go with this for now, but we could be a whole lot better off,” she said.

Gregoire is required by statute to produce a budget that will be balanced at the end of each biennium, King said.

Whatever budget Gregoire chooses will run from July 2010 until June 2011, King said.

The budget released Wednesday was the governor’s first proposal, but she will produce a second budget in January. In addition, the state House of Representatives and state Senate will each produce a budget. All of these will be considered, and the groups will create what is known as a conference budget, or a combination of all the proposals. The actual budget should be finalized about next April, King said.

Any cuts made to the budget will be challenging for WSU President Elson S. Floyd and Provost Warwick M. Bayly, King said.

“They will begin to work with the deans to craft a plan on how the university can handle this kind of cut,” she said.

King said Floyd and Bayly are working on changing the structure of WSU.

“We have to look at the scope of all the stuff – including academic programs, administration, housing and dining – and ensure that it is lined up with our strategic plan,” she said.

The plan’s goal is ensuring that no program is underperforming, she said.

Although the final budget will not be released until next spring, Floyd and Bayly are starting now with the first proposed number, King said.

“We just can’t wait until April to begin conversations,” she said.

Floyd and Bayly should be informing students and community members about the steps they are taking throughout the restructuring, King said.

“It should be a transparent process,” she said. “They want involvement like there was last time.” King said the budget will affect everyone across the state, not just those associated with WSU.

“It is an issue for the government of this state,” she said. “There is a gap between what we need and what we have.”