Jeb Bladine: Linfield goes full-public with private finances
Governmental and institutional budgets are going under the knife. And while federal government cuts have drawn maximum attention, public interest is turning to local financial emergencies.
It’s spring, and local budget committees are springing into action on July 1 budgets for 2025-26. A few examples among many:
Portland Public Schools needs to slash $40 million in spending — reportedly about 4.7 percent of the district’s $850 million general fund. McMinnville School District is looking for $3 million in cuts from its $100 million general fund in a time of added controversy over its decision to fire the school superintendent. A similar $3 million number is being targeted for removal from the city of McMinnville’s budget, which would be nearly 8 percent if taken from city’s $38 million general fund.
All of those proceedings will be well-publicized and continuously accessible through public meetings and public hearings. No so with many private institutions that face similar financial challenges that can and may be resolved outside public view.
But hold on: Instead of going behind closed doors, Linfield University last week revealed much about its current and pending budget-cutting activities. The university, recognizing its integral local relationships and the importance of accurate community perception, went full-public.
Linfield’s current $58.8 million budget needs to be reduced by about $2 million for 2025-26, and another $2 million for 2026-27 — about 3.4 percent each year. That would eliminate the current annual deficit of about $4 million, with revenue enhancements needed to offset any rising costs over that timeline.
In February, the Linfield Board of Trustees issued a budget-balance mandate to its university administration. That edict generated a series of difficult discussions with top-to-bottom representatives of the three major university divisions — the Portland-based School of Nursing, the new School of Business in McMinnville, and the long-traditional College of Arts & Sciences on the local campus.
One motivation for Linfield going public was a desire to quell any rumors that might arise about the university’s overall sustainability.
A new president, Mark Blegen, takes the helm on July 1 after working closely for months with LU interim President Becky Johnson; Linfield has significant assets that can help protect the university from financial failure; and the institution is carefully confronting a difficult process of reducing staff and operations in ways both sympathetic and empathetic to the people affected.
When all is said and done, there will be a notable footnote in Linfield’s history about the 18-month term of Johnson’s interim presidency. She came to Linfield after a time of much controversy; thoughtfully helped stabilize the ship in ways beyond what we local observers could see; and now presides over the reorganization needed to regain Linfield’s financial balance.
Nothing characterizes those efforts better than Johnson’s recent comment that “We” (at Linfield) didn’t start the financial turnaround process soon enough. Not “the university” … not “those other people” … but “We.”
It was the sign of a true and accountable leader whose approach to governance might well be emulated by others.
Jeb Bladine can be reached at jbladine@newsregister.com or 503-687-1223.
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