Bill would give a boost to community colleges

BOISE – Compromise legislation to expand community college services to unserved areas of the state was introduced in a House committee on Wednesday.

“This is a work in progress,” said Sen. John Goedde, R-Coeur d’Alene, who helped negotiate the compromise with Rep. Ann Rydalch, R-Idaho Falls, and the governor’s office. “This is not the absolute perfect solution, but it’s a step in the right direction. It keeps community colleges in the spotlight.”

Goedde said the bill also leaves the door open for him and Rydalch next year to craft legislation for more “equity” – specifically to account for the fact that the two existing community colleges levy property taxes on residents for part of the colleges’ funding, while the new classes would be entirely state-funded.

The bill would put $5 million into new community college classes next year, to be divided evenly among the existing six community college districts in the state. That means each would get just more than $800,000.

The state Board of Education, which voted last week to support the bill, is requesting proposals from existing colleges to offer the new classes in unserved areas. That means North Idaho College in Coeur d’Alene and the College of Southern Idaho in Twin Falls could get some of the money to expand their outreach offerings.

For areas where no community college exists now – which include Boise, the largest metropolitan area in the nation without a community college – the bill anticipates paying for classes, but not buildings.

Existing buildings in communities would be used.

Rep. Marge Chadderdon, R-Coeur d’Alene, joined the unanimous vote to introduce the bill.

“I know it’s needed, and I think it’s progressive,” she said.

House Education Chairman Jack Barraclough, R-Idaho Falls, scheduled a public hearing on the bill for Monday at 8 a.m. in the Gold Room, the state Capitol’s largest hearing room.