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Community college leaders tell House panel record enrollment, wait lists require state investment
Summary
Presidents of Idaho’s four community colleges told the House Committee on Education on Feb. 3 that growing enrollment and wait lists for nursing and workforce programs require state investment to expand capacity.
Presidents of Idaho’s four community colleges told the House Committee on Education on Feb. 3 that growing enrollment and wait lists for nursing and workforce programs require state investment to expand capacity.
Speaking in a joint presentation, Gordon Jones of the College of Western Idaho, Dean Fisher of the College of Southern Idaho, Lori Barber of the College of Eastern Idaho and Nick Swain of North Idaho College described rising demand for technical and health programs, substantial increases in dual‑credit and adult learners, and persistent bottlenecks caused by faculty shortages, limited lab space and clinical placement constraints.
College of Western Idaho President Gordon Jones said his institution serves “over 31,000 individuals per year” across credit and noncredit offerings and estimated a full‑time student’s tuition at about $3,300 per year. Jones described long wait lists in several programs: “I have over a hundred students on our wait list for nursing. Automotive technology has wait lists. Our welding…
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