State Board of Education staff growth, IT needs and $15M workforce grant top OSB FY2026 request

Kevin Campbell, a budget and policy analyst for the Legislative Services Office, told the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee the Office of the State Board of Education (OSB) oversees managerial, financial and coordinating functions for K-12 and higher education and is created under Idaho Code section 33-101. "My name is Kevin Campbell. I am a Budget and Policy Analyst with the Legislative Services Office," he said while presenting OSB's budget and staffing data.

The presentation explained that OSB now has 84.25 authorized full-time positions (FTPs) with eight vacancies and a five-year average authorized FTP count of 55.95, a figure the analyst said is "skewed a bit low" because of recent transfers of staff and functions into OSB. Campbell said the three OSB divisions are OSB administration, IT and data management, and the school safety and security program.

The agency's FY2026 request highlighted the governor's single largest enhancement proposal for OSB: a one-time "public–private workforce capacity grant" of $15 million to expand institutional capacity for workforce training. Campbell summarized the grant as proposed to "allow institutions to build infrastructure capacity if it relates to workforce training and in-demand careers," and said it would require institutions to raise private dollars to match state investments. The governor's proposal, as explained to the committee, would award funds at a 1:1 match for Boise State University, Idaho State University and the University of Idaho and at a 1:2 match for Lewis-Clark State College and the four community colleges.

Why it matters: committee members pressed OSB leaders about the continued growth of centralized staff and costs at OSB. Representative Petzke asked why the centralized OSB staff had grown from about 60 FTPs a few years ago to more than 80 today and whether funds would be better spent directly at institutions. Representative Tanner and others said they want the board to identify line items that could be reduced.

Director Joshua Whitworth, introduced to the committee as "the executive director for the state board," defended the transfers and hires as intended to reduce silos and increase systemwide efficiency. Whitworth said centralizing internal audit, risk management and some IT functions allows the board to standardize policies and monitor institutional spending and security. He also said the board's IT team supports approximately 300,000 students and that rural districts often lack local IT talent.

Independent Study Idaho: Whitworth described Independent Study Idaho as a flexible delivery option for nontraditional students, saying it lets students earn certifications or classes at their own pace. He told the committee the program is primarily funded by student fees and that the typical fee is about $160 per credit. Whitworth said program self-funding "are falling short as growth of costs have continued," and that without a base increase the program's funding model can produce perverse incentives because revenue from failed enrollments remains in the program rather than paying institutions.

IT and personnel requests: Campbell listed several FY2026 enhancement requests for OSB, including five new technical or policy positions (an IT systems and infrastructure engineer; a database engineer; an education effectiveness program manager; an education policy analyst; and an Empowering Parents program analyst). Committee members asked whether current IT functions were performed by contractors and whether hiring staff would be cheaper than ongoing contracts. Whitworth and the committee agreed they would provide a cost comparison and an IT plan showing current contractor spending, the backlog of maintenance requests, and expected outcomes.

School safety and other transfers: Campbell explained the school safety and security program was transferred to OSB in FY2020; per statute the school safety fund receives an annual transfer of $300,000 from the public school income fund. He also noted prior transfers into OSB of IT and audit staff from the State Department of Education and of risk management staff from other entities; Whitworth said those transfers were net-zero moves from other state entities.

DEI and funding sources: Several legislators, including Representative Tanner and others on an anti-DEI working group, asked where DEI-related programs are funded. Director Whitworth and committee members clarified that, according to board reports, services and centers focused on historically marginalized communities are paid from student fees or opt-in fees rather than state appropriations; Whitworth said the board is reviewing which services are funded by user fees and how indirect costs are assessed.

Follow-up: Committee members requested additional materials from OSB staff, including a detailed IT plan and cost comparisons for contractors versus in-house IT staff, a refined list of programs eligible for the proposed workforce capacity grant, and clarification of which FY2026 enhancement requests would require underlying legislation. Whitworth and Campbell agreed to provide those materials to the committee.

Ending: The committee reserved judgment while requesting more detailed documentation; no formal votes were taken on OSB items during this hearing.