Community Colleges Get Budget Increase Nic President Happy With 10 Percent Boost, Although Schools Sought 13 Percent

Idaho’s community colleges got a 10 percent budget increase from state lawmakers Monday.

North Idaho College President Michael Burke said he’s happy with the decision, even though community colleges statewide had sought a 13 percent increase.

“The growth in the budget recognizes the contributions community colleges are making around the state …” Burke said.

The colleges requested a 13.1 percent increase, in part to accommodate the enrollment growth NIC has experienced in the past 18 months.

Gov. Dirk Kempthorne allowed for an 8 percent increase in his suggested budget, which would have covered only maintenance costs for the colleges.

“This budget isn’t overly generous, but it didn’t underfund either,” said Rep. Don Pischner, R-Coeur d’Alene.

Pischner is a member of the powerful Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee, the group that made the school spending decision Monday.

“I think it’s right in line with what we’ve been doing this year.”

NIC enrollment is just under 4,000 students, up 12 percent in roughly a year. Some days on campus, all classroom buildings are 100 percent occupied.

Said Burke, “This increase will allow us to continue to accommodate our growth as well as funding the North Idaho Center for Higher Education.”

NICHE is a cooperative effort between NIC, the University of Idaho, Idaho State University and Lewis-Clark State College.

The extra money budgeted this year will allow NICHE to create a one-stop student services center in Coeur d’Alene.

“This will widen the possibility for students to continue on to a four-year school without leaving North Idaho,” said Rep. Jim Clark, R-Coeur d’Alene, who pitched the college spending increase to the budget committee. “This will especially help those students from Boundary and Bonner” counties.

Burke said the budget increase will also help the college hire more full-time faculty to support its growing programs. “We’re looking hard at how the workload on campus has grown,” Burke said.

“This is a small enough campus that everyone feels the impact of an enrollment increase of 12 percent.”