March 20, 2026

Snow last Friday?? What? That was Winter’s final salvo and now we can all move into Spring.

I know it has been a tumultuous Winter Quarter with our budget adjustments. As we head into Spring Break, the legislature has finished their work. The State Board will now reconcile the legislative decisions and hopefully let us know within a few weeks about how this will affect our individual campus. I do not see us having to go through any more major reduction exercises at this point.

One of the mechanisms the legislature used was to borrow money from the Capital Budget to offset cuts in the Operating Budget thereby saving the campuses millions of dollars. That protection will not be in place next year, so in the fall we will begin a conversation about our mission, values, and finances to help guide future decision making. We hope to be prepared for the 2027 budget season before the next snowfall.

A few reminders today:

Emergencies

The senior staff held a tabletop emergency exercise on Wednesday. The practice situation involved a tragic accident with a campus van and students. I mention this because I think it’s important to know that we have multiple systems in place for low-level to high-level emergencies. Today we practiced roles and expectations so that we can be ready for future events. If at any time you experience an emergency, always call campus safety first and then let an administrator know. Directors, Deans, and Senior Staff will continue to practice different scenarios twice per year so we can remain ready for any emergency that might arise.

Parking

Staff reserved parking still exists in the north garage. Data shows that the garage is never full, so we have down-sized the number of spaces to 10. Also, they are now ½ level up (Floor 3.5) so that there is elevator access without using any stairs. If our numbers or usage changes, we can certainly open this topic up for more discussion.

Day of Inquiry & Assembly

Don’t forget that our Spring DIA is on May 14. The updated schedule will be posted soon on the Outlook calendar link. If you are interested in making a blue-themed dessert for the End of Year Celebration on the same day, please let me know. I’m hoping all of our creative bakers will come through.

Shoutouts

Congrats to the CCF team. Their graduation ceremony for Level 5 English learners was Wednesday. I’ve never seen so many cupcakes in one place. And thanks to Debra Waddell for her in-person sabbatical report to the Trustees on Wednesday. Debra always comes with a pocket full of energy and good will.

Shoutouts can be sent to FLShoutout@cascadia.edu.

There will be no Friday Letter next week (Spring Break).