Lawmakers press CTE on waitlists, faculty and $10 million governor capacity request

Kevin Campbell, a budget and policy analyst with the Legislative Services Office, told the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee on Feb. 10 that the Division of Career Technical Education (CTE) is central to Idaho’s workforce development and outlined the division’s base budget and FY2026 requests, including a $10 million ongoing gubernatorial recommendation to build capacity in high‑demand CTE programs.

The request arrives as CTE and the State Board’s interim administrator, Joshua Whitworth, told the committee demand for CTE programs has surged. “We are seeing large demand across the entire career technical education ecosystem,” Whitworth said, adding the constraints are now “faculty and facility” simultaneously as programs grow.

Why it matters: CTE trains students at secondary schools, six technical colleges and adult education and workforce centers statewide and supplies workers in skilled trades that local employers say they need. Committee members pressed CTE staff for details about which programs are oversubscribed, how the governor’s $10 million would be allocated, and whether proposed new roles duplicate existing workforce efforts.

CTE structure, funds and recent appropriations

Campbell summarized that CTE’s system includes programs at secondary schools, the six technical colleges (College of Eastern Idaho; College of Southern Idaho; College of Western Idaho; North Idaho College; Lewis‑Clark State College; and Idaho State University), educator services, and related adult education and workforce training programs. He said CTE has about 569 full‑time positions (FTP) and that 93.3% of appropriations are spent on post‑secondary CTE activities.

Campbell identified several dedicated funds used by CTE: the Displaced Homemaker Fund (revenues from a $20 fee on divorces, used for career training at Centers for New Directions), the Hazardous Materials and Waste Enforcement Fund (revenue from hazardous materials trip and annual permits, used for hazmat/firefighter training), and the Motorcycle Safety Fund (revenues from driver’s licenses, motorcycle registrations and safety program fees, used for motorcycle rider safety training).

He reviewed prior appropriations and enhancements: ongoing and one‑time staff and equipment investments in FY2024 and FY2025, a $5 million ongoing general‑fund appropriation for CTE readiness in middle and high schools, $10 million one‑time for secondary CTE programs, and $5 million one‑time for post‑secondary equipment in FY2024. For FY2026, Campbell said CTE requests $664,000 ongoing for additional instructors and $125,400 for a business‑industry engagement manager, with the governor recommending $10 million ongoing to expand capacity in high‑demand programs.

Demand, waitlists and constraints

Committee members repeatedly cited waitlists for welding and nursing. Senator Galloway noted welding and nursing as top waitlisted programs; Whitworth said the demand for welders has increased rapidly because of manufacturing growth in the state and other planned projects, and that even substantial funding would likely still leave unmet need.

Whitworth outlined what he described as a three‑leg problem: demand (students and employers), qualified faculty, and physical facilities (for example, enough welding booths or ventilation). “As that jumps, not only do you reach that constraint on the facility side, you also reach the constraint on the faculty side,” he said.

Business‑industry engagement manager and oversight

Whitworth described the proposed business‑industry engagement manager as a role to embed business development support directly with school districts and technical colleges, especially in rural districts that cannot afford local staff. He said the Workforce Development Council and CTE collaborate on strategy but that this manager would operate at the district level to connect employers and education programs.

Committee members asked whether the proposed role duplicates services provided by the Workforce Development Council; Whitworth said the functions are complementary because the council focuses on statewide strategy while the manager would provide hands‑on, local district support.

Questions about funds and follow‑up

Committee members raised specific accounting and policy questions: Senator Bierke asked about negative balances in the Hazardous Materials and Waste Enforcement Fund; Whitworth said staff would validate the reporting and provide follow‑up. Representative Tanner said fee revenue and reporting appeared inconsistent for the hazmat and motorcycle safety funds and asked CTE to review the balances and possible policy adjustments. Whitworth agreed to bring recommendations.

Governor’s $10 million and grant structure

Several lawmakers asked for more detail on how the governor’s $10 million ongoing recommendation would be distributed. Whitworth described the proposal as a grant program tied to industry participation: grants would be awarded to technical colleges and districts demonstrating employer partnerships and commitment to match or engage, with reporting back to the division and the legislature. He said the division intends the grants to be demand‑driven and not necessarily equally distributed across institutions.

“Industry would be stepping down and matching that to that program,” Whitworth said, describing the grant evaluation as contingent on employer engagement.

Follow‑ups and next steps

The committee requested that CTE provide a detailed list of oversubscribed programs and further information about the proposed $10 million distribution plan and the funding and balances of the hazmat and motorcycle safety funds. Whitworth agreed to provide lists of oversubscribed programs and follow up on fund accounting.

Ending

Committee members signaled they will press for more specifics before acting on the $10 million ongoing request. CTE officials committed to returning with program‑level waitlist data, a proposed grant distribution approach, and reconciled fund reporting for hazmat and motorcycle safety funds.