High Tech Emphasized Over Salaries

Gov. Phil Batt’s already scaled-down plan to begin closing the pay gap between Idaho college teachers and their peers has been reduced even more.

And legislative budget-writers wasted no time Wednesday pumping those savings and more into educational uses of high technology.

The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee voted 15-5 to spend $2.5 million through the new Council on Technology in Learning. That was after the panel had set aside another $1.75 million for competitive grants to encourage university research into technological innovation, instructional quality and cheaper but greater access to educational programs.

Batt had recommended only the $1.75 million for grants in his tight 1997 spending blueprint for higher education. And he provided just enough money to begin an eight-year program to equalize Idaho teaching salaries with those paid by similar institutions. The state Board of Education had hoped to close the substantial gap in four years.

But conservative budget-writers combined to further reduce the equity money so that the gap will not be closed for nine to 10 years, assuming equivalent appropriations are made annually for the next decade.