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Idaho State Historical Society seeks spending authority for exhibits, archive move and America250 commemoration
Summary
The Idaho State Historical Society asked the Joint Finance committee for spending authority tied to fundraising, staffing at the Old Idaho Penitentiary, archival consolidation and the state’s America250 commemoration; lawmakers requested updates on fundraising returns and metrics for new staff positions.
The Idaho State Historical Society asked the Joint Finance committee to approve a set of ongoing and one‑time spending items to support exhibitions, archive consolidation and the state’s America250 commemoration.
Brooke Dupree, budget analyst, summarized the society’s FY2026 requests: ongoing staffing for the Old Idaho Penitentiary paid from the penitentiary’s miscellaneous revenue fund; a $62,900 ongoing archivist‑technician position to digitize archives; a $450,000 one‑time request for moving and consolidation costs for collections; and reappropriation authority for $1,650,000 in general fund support for the America250 commemoration. The governor recommended the items in the analysts’ presentation.
Janet Gallimore, director of the Idaho State Historical Society, told the committee the agency raises roughly half its budget from non‑state sources (admissions, contracts, grants and donations). She said fundraising campaigns are used to underwrite exhibitions and capital projects; one recent activity was a fundraising initiative and donor activity in FY2024 that required spending authority to expend the received funds.
On the Old Idaho Penitentiary: Gallimore described a business plan to increase education programming and earned‑revenue opportunities at the Old Pen. The agency asked for two additional positions focused on education and retail/earned income; Gallimore said the Old Pen relies heavily on earned income and investing in staff will expand capacity to serve students and visitors. The society set goals (for example, to roughly double student visitation from 6,000 to 12,000) and will report results to the committee as the positions are implemented.
Archive consolidation and move: The society described plans to consolidate three off‑site storage facilities into an expanded archives facility at the State Archives (Penitentiary District). Staff said the consolidation will reduce deferred preservation risks — several storage buildings were constructed in the 1960s and need upgraded climate, security and handling. The society requested $450,000 one‑time in FY2026 for moving costs and expects the physical transfer work to span two fiscal years.
America250 and exhibitions: Gallimore said the $1.65 million support for the America250 commemoration is largely obligated to partner projects (documentary work, curriculum development, grants to other organizations) and that approximately $1.4 million of the amount has been obligated to date. The society highlighted an upcoming traveling exhibit of two historic silver service trays associated with past naval ships named USS Idaho, which the society presented live for committee members.
Legislative follow‑up requests: Senators asked for details on fundraising yields (how much was raised versus what was spent), early results for the Old Pen positions already hired, and a timeline and budget for the archive move. The director agreed to provide fund balances, campaign results, and outcome metrics for the Old Pen education and earned‑revenue initiatives.
