JFAC adds $1.68 million ongoing to community colleges, directs outcome-based funding proposal

The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee voted March 7 to add $1,679,800 in ongoing general-fund support for enrollment workload adjustments at Idaho’s community colleges and to direct the State Board of Education to develop an outcome-based funding model. Representative Petske moved the budget adjustment to add $496,800 ongoing for the College of Eastern Idaho, $690,000 ongoing for the College of Southern Idaho and $493,000 ongoing for the College of Western Idaho. Senator Ward Engelking seconded the motion. The committee recorded a combined vote of 19 ayes and 1 nay, and the motion will be sent to the floor with a due-pass recommendation. Committee members said the adjustment aimed to address wait lists and capacity limits in CTE programs and to avoid penalizing North Idaho College for a negative enrollment workload adjustment (EWA) that committee members said did not reflect recent enrollment growth and accreditation progress. "We wanted to make sure that [North Idaho College] were not penalized by that formula this year," a committee member said during debate. In separate language approved on the record, the committee directed the Office of the State Board of Education to develop an outcome-based funding model and to return to JFAC with a proposal by Dec. 31, 2025, for committee input and to implement the model by fiscal year 2028. Kevin Campbell, budget and policy analyst with the Legislative Services Office, described the colleges’ appropriations as trustee and benefits payments subject to the enrollment workload adjustment administered by the State Board of Education. The committee also noted community colleges are "significantly oversubscribed" for CTE at the postsecondary level and face instructor-recruitment pressures from private-sector competition.