School for the deaf and blind seeks staff, facility expansion as outreach caseloads grow

BOISE — Idaho Educational Services for the Deaf and the Blind (IESDB) presented its budget and program needs to the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee on March 4, reporting growing outreach caseloads, staffing challenges and plans to expand campus housing.

Jared Tetrault of the Legislative Services Office summarized IESDB’s five-year appropriations and enrollment trends: the campus population rose from about 77 students in 2010 to roughly 122 residents in the current year, and the outreach program expanded from roughly 1,100 students to about 2,600. That growth has increased staff caseloads and prompted a request for additional positions.

Why it matters: IESDB provides specialized services across Idaho, from birth through age 21, and its outreach model sends specialists into districts statewide. Increased caseloads and recruitment challenges could affect service delivery unless the agency fills requested positions and completes planned housing improvements.

What the agency told legislators

- Scope and staffing: IESDB’s campus serves approximately 122 children ages 3–21; outreach services support about 2,600 children birth to 21. The agency reported roughly 85 FTEs for campus operations and about 36 FTEs for outreach; there is no statutory FTE cap. Budget requests included career-ladder-equivalent adjustments, additional compensation to recruit and retain staff and two requested outreach positions (an early-child outreach administrator and a region 4 consulting teacher) to reduce caseloads.

- Recruitment challenges: Agency leaders told the committee they are competing nationally for staff with specialized credentials and that several positions remain open. IESDB reported four to five current openings, including teaching positions, a speech-language pathologist and interpreter roles paid at teacher levels.

- Facilities and housing: The agency said it still has a waiting list of students who could attend the Gooding campus but cannot because housing is limited. Agency leadership reported plans to build new student cottages and that work on designs is scheduled; new cottages are expected to relieve the waiting list once built.

- Birth-through-21 services: IESDB staff explained the statutory obligation to serve birth through age 21 and described early intervention work for newborns who fail initial hearing screenings. Mr. Darcy, the agency superintendent who introduced outreach and finance directors to the committee, said early intervention is purpose-built to improve long-term educational outcomes: “If we get to the child earlier ... the better off they are later on,” he said. He added, “My job truly is to create taxpayers,” describing the agency’s long-term goal of preparing students for independence and employment.

Budget details and audit notes

Tetrault noted the agency’s audited financials and a modest year-end fund balance (about five percent of operations). The FY24 audit and the five-year presentation show the agency’s appropriation rising with enrollments and with recurring compensation requests tied to recruitment and retention.

Committee follow-ups and next steps

Members asked for comparative salary data versus neighboring districts and for more information on how requested positions would reduce caseloads. Agency leaders agreed to provide salary comparisons and additional documentation about how new cottages and the added outreach positions will change service capacity.

Ending

IESDB leaders asked the committee to consider the proposed positions and facility investments to sustain services as outreach caseloads increase and to address a persistent shortage of staff with the specialized credentials required to serve Idaho’s students with sensory impairments.