JFAC recommends more funding for pay raises for community colleges

COEUR d’ALENE — Legislators on the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee rejected budgetary items related to administrative hires at North Idaho College, instead embracing Gov. Brad Little’s recommendation to spread the requested money across Idaho’s four community colleges.

NIC had requested funds for a “first-year experience director” for new students, a new dean of students position and a new IT services coordinator. Combined, the three positions would cost $454,300.

The committee unanimously approved putting the same $454,300 into pay raises at Idaho’s community colleges, including NIC, on top of the governor’s additional recommended 4% change in employee compensation.

The recommendation is not a budget cut for NIC.

“We never expected those line items to be funded as they were no longer an active request for us in this year’s appropriation,” said Laura Rumpler, NIC’s chief communications and government relations officer. “The submittal of line items happens in the summer prior to the start of the legislative session. Our institutional priorities and our support for the governor’s budget recommendation evolved since last summer.”

Budget writers approved more than $1 million in line items for the College of Western Idaho, related to increasing nursing capacity and capacity in STEM fields, as well as for student outreach and recruiting.

The committee also approved $82,200 and $261,000 for compensation equalization at the College of Eastern Idaho and College of Southern Idaho, respectively.

The proposed budget would put about $61.7 million in taxpayer dollars into Idaho’s community colleges, which also receive funding from property taxes, as well as tuition and student fees.

The budget must now pass the House and Senate.