Speaker wants end to college debate

BOISE – House Speaker Bruce Newcomb said Tuesday that legislative leaders have decided work on establishing a state community college system should end for the session.

But the governor’s office and other advocates of the plan said they will continue to fight for it. And college presidents, who were meeting here Tuesday, sent off a letter to Newcomb, R-Burley, and other legislative leaders asking them to consider the latest community college bill one more time.

Idaho has only two community colleges, and it needs more, said Boise State University President Bob Kustra. Establishing a community college system “is good for the state,” he said. “I had every hope the Legislature would see it that way. They’ve addressed a number of priorities, and I’m disappointed this wasn’t one of them.”

Newcomb said the bill likely won’t go to lawmakers for a vote this session. But Statehouse observers said the bill could still be revived, even as the session winds down.

“Technically, you can’t say it’s dead, but it is in intensive care,” Newcomb said Tuesday.

Gov. Dirk Kempthorne’s office said the governor considers the matter still in play.

“He still thinks this is something we should address this year,” said Kempthorne spokesman Mike Journee.

Legislative leaders agreed that the state should pay for an interim study committee on community colleges this summer, Newcomb said.

Kempthorne and lawmakers introduced legislation this session to form a statewide system to create more community college classes. A bill introduced by Rep. Ann Rydalch, R-Idaho Falls, and Sen. John Goedde, R-Coeur d’Alene, was aimed at increasing the number of community colleges; Kempthorne introduced another bill that used $5 million from the general fund and would have had existing colleges offer classes in schools and other public buildings.

Later, Rydalch, Goedde, and Kempthorne worked out a compromise and presented that legislation to lawmakers. But county officials said they were worried the compromise would raise property taxes, and a new version, introduced Friday, did not allay their worries.

“We just can’t seem to get a plan out that everybody can buy into,” Newcomb said, adding more time is needed to come up with another plan.

Goedde said Tuesday that movement on the issue had been hampered by turf battles between different schools. Although the discussion of community colleges has concerned all areas of the state, the focus has been on the Boise area, where Boise State and Ontario, Ore.-based Treasure Valley Community College now operate small satellite campuses.

Other schools have also sent letters of interest to the state Board of Education about offering classes in the Boise area.

“It’s created a situation where each institution has its own proponents,” Goedde said. “They’re saying, ‘go forward, but don’t hurt us.’ “

Kempthorne made the establishment of more community college classes a priority in his State of the State speech in January. Only 45 percent of Idaho high schoolers go directly to a college — the fourth-worst rate in the United States. Kustra, the BSU president, has said the Idaho capital is the largest metropolitan area in the country without a community college.

The matter has been studied enough, Journee said.

“The demand is evident, and I don’t think anybody in this building denies that,” he said. “So it’s interesting that they’re going to have to study that some more.”