“The optics are looking really bad in divisions with staff, things that are being said on campus and talked about among staff,” said one attendee at last week Monday’s budget seminar.
Following the prior Oct. 29 Budget Town Hall, or Finance 102 presentation, Dr. David May presented yet another conference, titled Finance 103, to discuss the impending 2026 budget cuts to Bellevue College. Dr. May, the current college president, discussed to dozens of attending faculty members, many of whom will be impacted in the following Winter Quarter.
First on May’s agenda was the budgeting itself. He elaborated on the BC administration’s methodology, citing the guiding principles of:
- No across-the-board cuts
- Mission and vision as decision anchors
- Open and timely communication
- Shared engagement and accountability
- Long-term strength over short-term reaction
- If not this, then what?
These principles may be idealistic, yet they remain representative of the difficulty in making these massive financial decisions for Bellevue College’s future. The budgeting projections presented offered numerical values to substantiate the claims and hopes discussed.
As opposed to the $148 million revenue generated by BC last year, the 2025-2026 fiscal year is projected to bring in only $146 million, though future school years are expected to earn upwards of $150 million.
In contrast, the $146 million in expenses charged to the school the year prior is forecast to be surpassed by the 2025-2026 fiscal year’s $151 million in expenses, a trend that is expected to worsen at a higher rate than earnings will improve.
Further information stated that the reductions announced by the State budget and cuts made to vacant positions and services were included in the forecasts. Additionally, a 1.97% growth in enrollment and an average 7% salary lapse to account for fluctuating employment would be tacked onto the data provided. The predictions wouldn’t include equity pay reductions, however.
Concerning the issue with budget cuts, President May presented the usage of a three-bucket system to categorize the severity of cuts that needed to be made by his administration.
The first category, Bucket 1, encapsulates strategic reductions. These would target wasteful practices and programs, providing a maximized monetary efficiency within or outside the context of budget cuts.
The second category, Bucket 2, regards contingent reductions. These decisions would be leveraged by an increased level of budget cuts, putting strain on the college’s system to a concerning degree.
The third category, Bucket 3, represents last resort reductions. Unlike the previous two categories, Bucket 3’s cuts would negatively impact the school to a definite degree, being pushed by a dangerously low budget.
May explained that a Bucket “1.5” best describes the current cuts planned for the 2026 year. In total, nearly $4.5 million will be cut from the fiscal year’s original budget, bringing it down from $146 million to around $142 million.
The cuts span across a wide series of programs offered by the school, impacting virtually all staff. Among the most notable cuts is $613k from the School of Business & Technology, which is being dissolved and merged into other programs. Additionally, $619k will be cut from the Health, Science Education, and Wellness Institute as a result of the total closure of its Parent Education program as a result of low enrollment.
In addition to these significant cuts are other large decisions, including $540k from Continuing and Community Education to divert funds to more impactful programs, $450k from the Office of Provost & Academic Affairs to ensure equity amongst divisions and hundreds of thousands of dollars more from programs with currently vacant positions (Bucket 1 cuts). While the administration spoke against across-the-board cuts, it appears that most faculty and staff may receive a reduction in their salaries as well, with instructors bearing the brunt of the pay cuts.
Understandably, the large number of faculty present at last Monday’s meeting raised concerns and mixed sentiments regarding May’s proposals.
One concerned faculty member of the Parent Education program claimed she hadn’t been notified of her position’s elimination.
“So, on behalf of everyone in Parent Ed, I would ask that there be improvements made in the way in which communication is shared. Specifically with the adjunct faculty. Adjuncts matter. They hold up this campus, and the lack of consideration for the way in which the communication was shared, I think, should be reflected upon,” the faculty member stated.
“We contacted full-time people. We did do a communication out regarding the decision. We are still working on additional communications,” responded a member of the administration.
Another employee asked, “The full-time faculty salaries and the savings are there. Can you talk about how many full-time faculty positions you’re currently contemplating not filling to make those savings happen?”
May responded directly, “I can’t share that with you because it’s not a decision that’s been made. There are some things that are gonna have to be worked out through either a joint labor management process or through a contract negotiation process.”
Another passionate employee attending the meeting expressed his disconcertment with state legislation’s impact on the college’s budget.
“I’m becoming increasingly annoyed with state legislators that have short tenures, short memories and lack of skills in this area. Because when we can’t control our revenue, we can’t do bond offers, and they constantly are handcuffing us with unfunded mandates. It’s like they want us to run like a business, like they’re setting us up to fail”, said the employee.
May also addressed suggestions of selling Bellevue College’s 19-acre property in the Issaquah Highlands to the benefit of the school’s budget.
“I’m in very active conversations with the city of Issaquah about what might be the best use for that piece of property. I was in a meeting with Mayor Pauley and the City Manager. What we’ve done with the North Campus is we’ve leased it, rather than selling it. So that rather than one-time dollars, we get ongoing passive income. And so, something like that may make more sense,” May stated.
Finance 103 has raised questions, concerns and emotions among Bellevue College’s faculty. With promises of “no across-the-board cuts”, “open and timely communication” and “shared engagement and accountability” seemingly violated already, it is understandable that many employees, particularly those in the academic sector, feel at risk as 2026 rounds the corner. With uncertainty and ambiguity at their peak, the school’s administration must act accordingly to secure the future of the school and its faculty and staff.
For the full Finance 103 presentation, click here.
