Idaho lawmakers hear CTE budget request, debate $10 million plan to expand high-demand programs

Kevin Campbell, a budget and policy analyst with the Legislative Services Office, opened the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee hearing with an overview of the base budget and FY2026 requests for the Division of Career Technical Education (CTE).

Campbell told the committee that CTE’s statewide system includes secondary programs, six technical colleges, adult education and workforce training centers and that the division relies on a mix of funds with statutorily directed purposes. He highlighted three special funds: the Displaced Homemaker Fund (revenue from a $20 divorce fee directed to Centers for New Directions), the Hazardous Materials and Waste Enforcement Fund (supported by hazmat trip and annual permits, used for firefighter hazmat training), and the Motorcycle Safety Fund (supported by driver’s license and motorcycle registration fees for motorcycle safety training).

The nut graph: Lawmakers probed how the division plans to use an ongoing $10 million governor recommendation intended to expand seats in “high demand” technical programs, while CTE and the State Board emphasized persistent demand-driven shortages in facilities and faculty, not just funding. Committee members pressed for clearer detail on distribution, oversight and measurable outcomes before committing ongoing state dollars.

Executive Director Joshua Whitworth, serving in an interim role for the CTE division, told the committee that federal grant funding “is available” but cautioned that the division must be diligent about the timing and allowable uses of federal dollars. Whitworth said demand across CTE programs “is massive,” and that waitlists remain common even after recent state investments. “We are seeing large demand across the entire career technical education ecosystem,” he said, adding that the division can provide a list of oversubscribed postsecondary programs.

Committee members focused on where constraints occur. Whitworth described shortages as a three-legged problem: demand (students and industry partners), sufficient faculty and appropriate facilities. He said program-specific constraints—such as welding booths or required faculty-to-student ratios in nursing—can limit enrollment even when funding exists.

On the governor’s $10 million ongoing recommendation to expand capacity in high-demand CTE programs, Whitworth described the proposal as a grant program that would prioritize industry engagement and regional demand. He said the grants would require business or industry partners to “step down” matching support and that the division would monitor outcomes and rotate funding to meet changing needs. “This allows kind of a three-year rotation on that demand and meeting it,” Whitworth told lawmakers.

Lawmakers asked for more detail about how the grant dollars would be distributed and overseen. Representative Furness said the committee would need specific line-item and institution-level details to defend an ongoing $10 million request on the House or Senate floor. Whitworth and staff said they would return follow-up information that breaks down how the funds would be allocated, what institutions would receive funds and the performance metrics to be required.

Members also asked about duplication with other workforce efforts. Whitworth described coordination with the Workforce Development Council and the Launch grant program: Launch “drives demand” through student supports while CTE focuses on program quality, faculty and facilities. The proposed Business Industry Engagement Manager role would embed business-development support into school districts and technical colleges where those local staff positions don’t already exist; Whitworth said the role is meant to be district-facing and complementary to the council’s statewide advisory work.

Committee members raised questions about restricted program funds and reporting. Senator Bierke and Representative Tanner asked about negative or unusual balances in the Hazardous Materials and Motorcycle Safety funds; Whitworth said staff would validate reporting and return with details. Representative Tanner noted the motorcycle safety fund balance had grown and asked whether the division plans to increase program expenditures or revisit fee policy.

On capacity, lawmakers repeatedly cited welding and nursing as oversubscribed. Whitworth said the state is unlikely to be “standing up new welding programs” but instead would expand seats at existing community and technical colleges by adding equipment, ventilation, faculty or operational hours. He said nursing programs face faculty constraints: typical nursing instruction requires one nurse faculty per 8–10 nursing students, which can limit how quickly programs scale.

Clarifying details captured in the hearing included CTE’s staffing and budget figures (the transcript reported roughly 569 full-time positions in CTE and that 93.3% of appropriations are spent on postsecondary CTE, though the transcript included garbling on that point), recent one-time appropriations ($10 million one-time for secondary CTE programs, $5 million one-time for equipment and postsecondary investments), and ongoing allocations (a $5 million ongoing general fund appropriation for CTE readiness in middle and high schools in a prior year). The division’s FY2026 request also included smaller items: $664,000 ongoing for additional instructors, $125,400 for a Business Industry Engagement Manager, $50,000 for adult education and literacy, and requests to increase federal grant spending authority.

The committee did not take votes. Members repeatedly asked the division for a written distribution plan for the $10 million ongoing request, institution-level details showing how personnel costs are allocated across the six technical colleges and the division, and confirmation of balances and expenditures in restricted funds.

Ending: Whitworth and CTE staff committed to follow up with the committee on multiple items—detailed lists of oversubscribed programs, proposed grant distribution mechanics and fund-balance reconciliations. The committee moved on to the next departmental presentation after the CTE exchange concluded.