State board outlines expanded central staff, workforce grant and IT needs in budget presentation

Kevin Campbell, a budget and policy analyst with the Legislative Services Office, told the Joint Finance Committee that he was presenting the budget for the Office of the State Board of Education (OSB), which the analyst said was created under Idaho Code §33‑101 and carries management, finance and coordination responsibilities for both K‑12 and higher education.

Campbell said OSB now has three main divisions — administration, IT and data management, and school safety and security — and that the administration division is the largest. “OSB currently has 84.25 authorized FTEs with 8 vacancies,” Campbell said, adding the agency’s five‑year average authorized FTE is lower because of recent staff transfers into OSB.

Why it matters: Committee members pressed OSB officials on whether the recent growth in central staff improves efficiency or simply centralizes resources that otherwise would go directly to campus or district programs. That line of questioning framed follow‑up requests for data on contractor costs, IT backlogs and performance outcomes.

Executive director Joshua (Josh) Whitworth and Board president Dr. Clark joined the presentation. Whitworth told the committee the board’s move to centralize functions such as audit, risk management, IT and the school safety program reflects a policy goal the board members described as “systemness” — seeking coordinated, consistent approaches across institutions. “Bringing that…