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Georgia Perimeter College to nix more than 200 employees

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — Georgia Perimeter College is dealing with a $16 million-deficit and school administrators are looking to make cuts any way they can, reported Channel 2's Dave Huddleston.

In a memo to staff, interim college president Robb Watts said they have to cut 282 people. Most of the employees are support staff, including 215 full-time and 67 part-time workers. No tenured faculty will be laid off, according to the notice.

A letter was distributed Monday morning notifying employees that layoffs would go into effect immediately.

Huddleston was in Dunwoody, where he saw a few people with their belongings in boxes on campus.

The letter goes on to say that all areas of the college are affected, but the school's main goal is to try and protect classroom instruction for students.

Huddleston said that even with the layoffs, the job reduction still doesn't solve all of the college's problems. The change only saves the college $10.7 million and the deficit is expected to rise to $25 million next month.

Many of the college's financial problems came to light after the former president abruptly resigned, Huddleston said.

Meanwhile, the state attorney general is investigating what he calls fraudulent behavior.

Georgia Perimeter College employs 3,100 people, records said. It is the third-largest public college in the state, teaching nearly 27,000 students on five campuses.