Wayne Hammon, Gov. Butch Otter's budget director, told the Senate Education Committee, "There is no cut to IDLA in the governor's budget. ... We continue to have the $5 million going forward." That's the budget that was set for IDLA for this year, before its enrollment surged from 11,100 to 14,000 students. Hammon said the administration views the current funding system for IDLA as "double funding," because school districts receive state funding to educate students, and then the state also funds IDLA for some of those same students. "The problem isn't that IDLA is doing a poor job, they're doing a great job," Hammon told the committee. "They're a model for the nation. However, they're double-funding this activity over and over again."

Wayne Rusch, Glenns Ferry School District superintendent, said, "You can call it double funding, but this is how it will affect the program: We will reduce our graduation rate, we will eliminate the advanced math courses that we're currently offering, and we will go back to offering a basic education." The state now spends only $10,000 to provide 30 classes and 154 credits through IDLA for Glenns Ferry students, Rusch said. "I just can't offer the courses for that." Donna Hutchison, CEO of IDLA, said under the governor's budget proposal, "Classes would be capped, students would be possibly turned away." Fees might also be raised.