Lawmakers Steamed At Ed Board
Although they lack the votes to overturn the State Board of Education’s Boise engineering decision, Idaho lawmakers continue to vent their frustration over academic turf wars.
They are talking about firing the board and starting anew.
They could establish a higher education chancellor in all but name.
There’s the perennial talk of devising separate boards for higher ed and public schools.
And two state senators want lawmakers to encourage expansion of engineering at Idaho State University in Pocatello as well as at Boise State University.
Odds are all of these will have a tough time.
The state board is reviewing its 12-year-old role and mission statements. The $30,000, privately funded study could be done by June. Until then, legislators can wait to rewrite the higher-education system, Senate Education Committee Chairman John Hansen, R-Idaho Falls, says.
Advocates of change see a green light from the governor’s office.
Last week, Senate Education Committee members introduced:
Moscow Republican Gary Schroeder’s attempt to create separate boards for public schools and higher education. Schroeder says the state board becomes so immersed in higher education, it loses track of public schools.
Porthill Democrat Tim Tucker’s plan to create a single university executive who would direct the university presidents and, potentially, have the power to hire and fire them. The executive would answer to the state board.
Coming up this week:
Rep. Milt Erhart, R-Boise, will ask the House Education Committee to approve his bill to abolish the current board by July 1. Their replacements would serve three-year terms and the governor could fire them.
Sen. Evan Frasure, R-Pocatello, will try to repeal a law restricting ISU’s engineering college from traditional programs like mechanical, electrical and civil engineering.
Sen. Hal Bunderson, R-Meridian, has a bill that would ask lawmakers to essentially endorse a BSU engineering program. It still would leave the decision to the state board, but the message behind passage of the Bunderson bill would be clear.