Peninsula College is built on the belief that education should reach every corner of our region, and sometimes, that means rethinking how we show up in those corners.

After careful consideration, Peninsula College is closing our physical campus in Port Townsend on Sept. 1, 2025. While this decision wasn’t easy, it was necessary to respond to a $2.2 million budget deficit and ensure the College’s long-term stability and service to our communities.

Let me be clear: We are not leaving East Jefferson County.

We are doubling down on what matters, getting students the education, training, and support they need to build better lives. And we’re doing it in ways that will be more accessible, more flexible, and more impactful for more people.

This isn’t the story of a closure, it’s the start of a transformation.

Enrollment at our Fort Worden site has dropped to less than half of what it was pre- pandemic. The current model is no longer serving enough students to justify the costs of maintaining a physical location. But we believe that by shifting to a mobile, digital, and partnership-based model, we can actually serve more students in Jefferson County, not fewer.

And we’re already putting that belief into motion. We’re in the process of purchasing two semi-trucks to launch mobile marine manufacturing and welding labs, bringing professional and technical training directly into communities where students live and work.

Through our Regional Challenge Grant, we’re continuing to provide wraparound services, academic advising, financial aid, and career planning, all without requiring students to travel to a centralized location. And we’re expanding online and hybrid offerings, so more people, especially working adults and low-income learners, can access education on their terms.

This decision is one part of a much bigger picture. Over the past three years, Peninsula College has experienced record-breaking growth. We’ve launched nine new instructional programs, with more in the works. We secured $11.2 million in external funding. Our High School Completion and ESL programs have grown by 85%. Enrollment at our Port Angeles and Forks campuses is soaring.

The truth is that the Fort Worden campus has not experienced this resurgence.

During these difficult economic times, we can’t keep doing things that aren’t efficient and effective. We have to pivot to offer higher education in ways that meet our community where they are.

The reality is Washington state is facing a $12 billion budget shortfall. Community and technical colleges like Peninsula didn’t cause this crisis. But we know we’re a big part of the solution. We educate the people who fuel the economy. We retrain workers. We lift entire families. And we meet people where they are, sometimes in classrooms, sometimes in shops, and sometimes at a kitchen table via Zoom.

So, yes, our footprint at Fort Worden is changing but our purpose isn’t. We’re still here. We’re still educating. We’re still driving toward a future where every student has access to opportunity, no matter their ZIP code. And we’re not slowing down anytime soon.

Suzy Ames is president of Peninsula College.