State Board of Education office seeks $15 million workforce grant, adds IT and safety staff in FY2026 request

Kevin Campbell, a budget and policy analyst with the Legislative Services Office, told the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee that the Office of the State Board of Education (OSB) is requesting a package of ongoing and one-time enhancements for fiscal 2026, led by Governor Brad Little’s proposed one-time $15 million public–private workforce capacity grant.

The workforce grant would fund institutional capacity projects tied to workforce training and in‑demand careers. Campbell said funds would be matched by private dollars at a 1:1 ratio for Boise State University, Idaho State University and the University of Idaho, and at a 1:2 ratio for Lewis‑Clark State College and the four community colleges.

The OSB budget matters because the office now houses functions moved into a central office in recent years — including IT and data administration, internal audit, risk management and the school safety and security program — and it controls transfers and grants that affect both K‑12 districts and higher‑education institutions.

Campbell described the office as comprised of three divisions: OSB administration, IT and data administration, and the…