Chemeketa Community College must cut $5 million from its budget for the 2027-28 academic year, President Jessica Howard said in a video address released Oct. 12.
The cuts would mark the second major round of reductions in four years at the college, which operates campuses across Marion, Polk, Yamhill and parts of Linn counties.
Howard warned the pain may not stop there.
She said the college is "likely" facing "another deficit and further reductions" in 2028-29, according to Salem Reporter, which first reported the budget shortfall Thursday.
When Salem Reporter asked about potential layoffs, the college said "no budget decisions have been made," the outlet reported. Howard's video remarks, posted to YouTube, did not detail which programs or positions could be affected.
The looming cuts echo a painful chapter from 2023, when Chemeketa eliminated 53 positions. That round included 23 layoffs and 30 vacant roles that went unfilled, according to Salem Reporter. At the time, faculty urged college leaders to prioritize cuts to administrator and overhead costs, saying instructor and student-facing positions had already been reduced substantially.
The specific causes of the projected deficit have not been made public. But the budget pressures follow a period of financial strain at the college.
Chemeketa pursued a $140 million bond measure in May 2025 to upgrade aging facilities. The bond was pitched as a renewal of a 2008 bond, with no increase to the existing tax rate of 27 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value, according to Salem Business Journal. A similar proposal had failed narrowly in November 2024.
College officials had warned that without bond funding, Chemeketa would need to redirect operating budget dollars toward facilities, potentially forcing program cuts, Salem Business Journal reported.
The college has not announced a timeline for specific budget decisions.
