College of Southern Idaho seeks funding to handle 20% enrollment surge, requests $475,700 EWA

College of Southern Idaho President Dr. L. Dean Fisher told members of the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee on the morning of the college’s presentation that CSI experienced a 20% enrollment increase in fall 2024 and has added roughly 3,800 students since fall 2021. Kevin Campbell, budget and policy analyst with the Legislative Services Office, said CSI’s FY 2026 request includes an enrollment workload adjustment (EWA) of $475,700.

Why it matters: The committee was hearing whether state funding should help community colleges expand capacity to meet demand produced by the Idaho Launch program and other factors. CSI leaders said insufficient faculty and specialized learning spaces are the primary constraints to serving newly enrolled students and meeting workforce needs.

CSI’s funding picture and request: Campbell explained that Idaho’s community colleges receive appropriations as a single trustee and benefits line rather than by object category and pointed the committee in the legislative budget book to CSI’s request. He said CSI’s single-state appropriation was $18,600,000 in 2024 and that the college’s base budget grew at an average of 6.4% annually over a five-year window, with FY 2023 as an outlier year that included CEC and enhancements. Campbell noted CSI typically spends its full state appropriation.

Enrollment and capacity details: “Last fall … we had 579 Launch recipients matriculate to the College of Southern Idaho. We ultimately experienced a 20% enrollment growth for the fall,” President Fisher said. Fisher told the committee CSI’s 20% growth was outside of dual-credit enrollment. He said the college has added about 3,800 students since fall 2021 and warned that without “an infusion of capacity building” the college may not sustain that level of enrollment.

Planned uses and estimated benefits: Fisher told the committee CSI intends to use the requested EWA funds to hire five additional instructors in general-education support courses (English and other common courses) to accompany any separate CTE expansions funded through the governor’s proposal. Fisher estimated one full-time faculty member teaches about 150 students per academic year and said five instructors would allow CSI to serve roughly 750 additional students annually.

Workforce and CTE pressure points: Committee members pressed CSI about specific program bottlenecks. Fisher cited radiologic technology as an example: the program admits 15 students per cohort but has a waiting list of 84, and clinical placement and faculty availability limit expansion. He also cited nursing capacity and a welding program already running multiple daily cohorts as evidence the college has stretched facility and staffing resources.

Compensation and retention concerns: Fisher told the committee CSI’s faculty and staff lag regional peers by about 12% and said an estimated $400,000 in additional ongoing funds would reduce that gap for faculty. He and the analyst highlighted broader staff pay gaps for positions such as mental-health counselors and academic advisors.

Support for governor’s proposals: Fisher recommended committee support for the governor’s proposed CTE capacity-building funds and the governor’s one-time infrastructure request (he described $15,000,000 as an example figure discussed with JFAC) for specialized learning spaces and other facilities. He also recommended continued support for community college compensation adjustments to reduce pay disparities.

Metrics and student success: Fisher pointed to an 85% fall-to-spring retention rate at CSI — above the national average he cited as 60% — and said the college has reduced textbook costs about 50% through adoption of open educational resources. He described the Bridge to Success program, noting that the college scaled the model from 40 students to about 500 participants and credited that investment with improved retention for first-generation students.

What the college asked the committee to consider: In sum, CSI requested the $475,700 EWA to hire five general-education instructors, sought support for the governor’s CTE and one-time infrastructure funds, and urged continuing action on faculty and staff pay to improve recruitment and retention.

President Fisher and the Legislative Services Office answered committee members’ questions about program-specific waiting lists, how many additional students five instructors could reach and the interplay between CTE-targeted money and general-education capacity needs. Fisher cautioned that some program expansions (Vet Tech, nursing, radiologic tech) also require specialized facilities and clinical partnerships and that accreditation and clinical supervision rules limit classroom-to-clinical ratios.