Deaf and blind education: IESDB tells JFAC enrollment and caseloads rise, seeks staff and cottage space

Officials from the Idaho Educational Services for the Deaf and the Blind (IESDB) told the Joint Finance‑Appropriations Committee March 4 that both campus enrollment and the outreach caseload have increased substantially in the last 15 years and that the program is seeking additional staff and facility capacity.

Jared Tetrault of the Legislative Services Office summarized the budget: the outreach program serves roughly 2,600 students birth through 21, while the Gooding campus serves about 122 residents aged 3 to 21. “If you go back to the 02/2010 school year, the campus had 77 students and they are currently serving 122,” Tetrault said, showing long‑term growth. He also noted IESDB maintains a modest cash balance (about $9 million across funds in the 2024 audited statements) consistent with other state agencies.

Why it matters: IESDB provides specialized educational services for two distinct populations (deaf/hard of hearing and blind/low vision). Those students often require credentialed staff with specialized training and travel‑intensive outreach; increased caseloads and difficulty recruiting credentialed staff create pressure for supplemental compensation and new positions to maintain service levels.

What IESDB told the committee

- Staffing and recruitment: IESDB requested career ladder equivalents and additional compensation to recruit and retain staff. The superintendent told the committee many positions are difficult to fill because the state must recruit professionals with specialized credentials; he said the agency competes with out‑of‑state employers for a small national pool of qualified candidates.

- New positions and one‑time needs: The budget request includes two outreach positions — an early‑child outreach administrator and a Region 4 consulting teacher — to reduce high caseloads in parts of the state, plus one‑time vehicle purchases to support outreach travel.

- Campus capacity and student housing: IESDB leaders told the committee they have a waiting list because the campus lacks enough housing. The superintendent said planned new cottages are expected to relieve the wait list once built. He described cottages in the planning phase that would add between 10 and 20 beds depending on final design.

- Birth‑to‑21 services: IESDB leaders emphasized their statutory responsibility to serve students birth through age 21 and explained early intervention at birth or infancy affects long‑term educational outcomes. “If we get to the child earlier… the better off they are later on,” the IESDB superintendent told the committee; the agency cited newborn hearing‑screening referrals and early home‑based intervention as part of its outreach workload.

Follow‑up requests and next steps

Committee members asked IESDB to provide comparisons of pay and recruitment metrics versus typical district teacher pay and to share details on cottage designs and timelines. Agency leaders said they will supply further pay‑comparison data and that construction planning is underway with state partners.

Ending

JFAC members praised IESDB staff work and asked for additional staffing and facility details before final appropriation votes.