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College of Eastern Idaho says rapid growth has outpaced capacity; seeks portion of $10M CTE funding
Summary
College of Eastern Idaho President Lori Barber told JFAC that CEI’s rapid expansion in credit and workforce training enrollment has exceeded the college’s physical and instructional capacity and requested ongoing funding to expand CTE programs.
College of Eastern Idaho President Lori Barber told the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee that CEI’s enrollment and workforce training growth has stretched the college’s physical space, faculty and equipment, and she asked the legislature to consider ongoing funding for career-technical education (CTE).
Kevin Campbell of the Legislative Services Office presented CEI’s budget materials, showing an FY2024 appropriation of $7,003,700 and FY2025 funding of about $7.7 million. He said CEI has grown from roughly 700 students as Eastern Idaho Technical College to about 3,600 degree-seeking students and more than 14,000 workforce-training participants. Barber said CEI has experienced “273% growth in credit-seeking headcount” since 2017 and described the college as “the largest workforce-training division in the state.”
Barber told the committee that CEI was turning away hundreds of applicants for CTE programs in fall 2024 because of capacity limits and that the college needs additional faculty, up-to-date equipment and expanded facilities to serve local industry demand. She said the college had roughly 465 CTE applicants who could not be placed into their chosen programs and that CEI’s existing campus built in 2007 now accommodates nearly 4,000 credit students in a single semester.
Barber asked legislators to support the governor’s proposed funding package for postsecondary institutions and specifically asked that CEI receive a portion of the $10 million ongoing set aside for community and technical colleges' CTE expansion. “For CEI, an increase in our general fund allocation from that $10,000,000 of at least $2,000,000 ongoing would be absolutely transformational,” Barber said.
Barber and her staff described employer partnerships as a partial solution to capacity and instructor shortages. She cited Idaho National Laboratory (INL) as a partner that provided instructors for cybersecurity training, which helped the college nearly double cybersecurity enrollment. Barber also described employer-driven micro-credential and apprenticeship-style arrangements with local employers such as Teton Toyota for automotive technician training.
Committee members including Senator Cook and Senator Wintrow commented on the wider workforce and pay challenges across state agencies and institutions. The committee did not take formal action during the CEI presentation; LSO will provide budget and EWA comparisons across institutions on request.
Barber closed by reiterating CEI’s growth and capacity concerns and by asking the legislature to consider investments that would allow the college to train more Idaho residents for local jobs.
