Community college presidents tell House committee enrollment, waitlists and workforce demands strain capacity

Presidents from Idaho’s four community colleges told the House Committee on Education on Feb. 3 that rising enrollment, full classes and program wait lists are creating capacity and staffing strains that require additional state investment.

"We are, I believe, workhorses for our economy and for our communities," Gordon Jones, president of the College of Western Idaho, told the committee as he described CWI’s role in serving local students and employers. Jones said CWI serves more than 31,000 unique individuals per year, has roughly 100 programs (about 50 career and technical), and that the average full‑time tuition for a student at his school runs about $3,300 per year.

Dean Fisher, president of the College of Southern Idaho, told lawmakers CSI is the primary higher‑education option in the Magic Valley and that the college serves both credit and…