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Legislature boosts community college funding, directs State Board to design outcome-based model
Summary
The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee approved $1.68 million in ongoing general funds to cover enrollment workload adjustments for three community colleges and directed the State Board of Education to return an outcome-based funding model by Dec. 31, 2025.
The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee approved funding on March 7 to increase state support for Idaho's community colleges and ordered the State Board of Education to propose an outcome-based funding model.
The committee voted to add $1,679,800 in ongoing general fund for enrollment workload adjustments for fiscal year 2026: $496,800 for the College of Eastern Idaho, $690,000 for the College of Southern Idaho and $493,000 for the College of Western Idaho. The motion passed on a committee roll call of 19 ayes, 1 nay.
“We didn't wanna hold them to that 3% cap,” Representative Petske, who moved the measure, said when explaining the decision to fully fund enrollment workload adjustments. The committee also said it would “hold North Idaho College harmless,” citing that the college had a negative backward-looking enrollment adjustment but recent enrollment gains and accreditation progress merited protection from a funding cut.
The committee added language directing the State Board of Education to develop an outcome-based funding model and to return to JFAC with a proposal for the committee's input by Dec. 31, 2025, with implementation targeted for fiscal year 2028. Kevin Campbell, a budget analyst with the Legislative Services Office, presented the community colleges budget and described how appropriations are treated as trustee and benefit payments and are subject to an enrollment workload adjustment set by the State Board.
Committee discussion cited capacity constraints in postsecondary career and technical education (CTE) programs and the difficulty community colleges face recruiting CTE faculty because of private-sector competition. Committee members said the funding change is intended to help colleges reduce wait lists and expand capacity.
The motion was seconded by Senator Ward Engelking and carried a due-pass recommendation to the floor.
The committee's action comes amid broader testimony to JFAC earlier in the meeting from House Education Chairman Doug Pickett about rural school needs and workforce-aligned training. Pickett and committee members repeatedly framed the community colleges change as a response to oversubscription in CTE and local capacity issues.
