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Lewis‑Clark State College highlights LAUNCH gains, warns EWA and pay gap strain budget
Summary
At a Jan. 27 Joint Finance‑Appropriations Committee hearing, Lewis‑Clark State College leaders described enrollment recovery and LAUNCH program gains while warning that the long‑standing Enrollment Workload Adjustment and a faculty/staff pay gap constrain finances and hiring.
Lewis‑Clark State College President Dr. Cynthia Pemberton and Legislative Services Office analyst Kevin Campbell told the Joint Finance‑Appropriations Committee on Jan. 27 that the college is seeing enrollment and program gains but remains constrained by the state's enrollment workload adjustment formula and a persistent salary gap with K‑12.
“EWA … it is a weighted credit hour formula that was determined about 3 decades ago,” President Cynthia Pemberton said, describing the Enrollment Workload Adjustment and how it redistributes a fixed pool based on a three‑year weighted average of credit hours. Kevin Campbell, the committee analyst, opened the presentation with an overview of Lewis‑Clark’s finances and said the college has an enrollment of 3,881 students.
Why it matters: the EWA can reduce an institution’s state appropriation even as local demand or mission priorities change, and pay competitiveness affects the college’s ability to recruit faculty and staff. That combination matters for a small, regionally focused public college that serves a high share of Pell‑eligible and first‑generation students.
Most important facts
- Enrollment and programs: Pemberton said LC State’s fall career‑technical enrollment rose 19% and that spring enrollment was up about 10%. She said about 240 individual students received LAUNCH funds this fall and that 36 of 54 participants in a fourth‑year electrical apprenticeship completed their program with LAUNCH support.
- EWA impact: Kevin Campbell and Pemberton both described EWA as a redistribution formula. Pemberton said LC State will receive a reduction of $102,500 under EWA for FY 2026. Committee members asked for additional explanation and comparative documentation of how EWA affects institutions.
- Pay gap and staffing: Pemberton said LC State lags peers and K‑12: “an LC State instructor, on average, makes $9,000 less per year than the new average of the K‑twelve. An L.C. State assistant professor makes, on average, $3,777 less per year than the K‑12 average.” She said the college has requested operational capacity enhancement funds and that the requested amounts would be used partly to make progress on the salary gap.
- How prior enhancements were used: Pemberton said recent operational capacity enhancement (OCE) dollars were used to cover occupancy costs for the Schweitzer Career Technical Engineering Building (custodial and utilities), marketing and recruitment, and targeted IT and cyber security needs. She told the committee that OCE money had allowed the college to finish staffing and operating the new facility.
- Prison education and workforce connections: Pemberton said LC State completed transition from the experimental Pell program and is now providing prison education in Orofino, Pocatello and Boise, serving nearly 200 incarcerated students. She also highlighted nursing and allied health pathways, noting graduate nursing and partnerships that expand workforce pipelines.
Committee follow‑up and documents
Committee members requested comparative salary and compensation data across the state colleges and K‑12. Pemberton said LC State would provide institution‑specific information via email and that the Legislative Services Office analyst is preparing a multi‑institution salary comparables document. Kevin Campbell said he would share the EWA explanation and related materials.
Less critical details and context
Pemberton emphasized LC State’s identity as Idaho’s small public four‑year college and said the institution is pursuing strategic, modest enrollment growth rather than rapid scale. She repeatedly framed LC State as a workforce driver for North Idaho and said the college needs continued legislative support to sustain operations and close pay gaps.
Ending
The committee moved on after asking for additional documents; no formal committee action or vote on LC State funding occurred at the Jan. 27 hearing. LC State leaders said they would follow up with requested salary and enrollment detail to the committee.
