Gift to be used to entice Idaho students to college

BOISE – The J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Foundation announced Monday that it’ll put up to $20 million into a big new push to get Idaho kids to seek higher education after high school.

That’s a goal that was put front and center by Gov. Butch Otter and a new Education Alliance last week as they unveiled a long-term strategy for education in Idaho, but that alliance’s new strategy lacked any funding.

“Idaho’s going-to-college rate is quite low,” said Jamie MacMillan, executive director of the Albertson Foundation, which participated in the Education Alliance. “What’s at risk really is that we won’t be able to qualify for the higher-paying jobs, to earn a decent wage, to buy homes, to provide for our families, and really what’s at risk is Idaho’s quality of life.”

Here’s what the Albertson Foundation is planning:

•$11 million in new targeted scholarships, with $1 million going to each of 11 Idaho public and private colleges and universities – including North Idaho College and the University of Idaho – to help students who otherwise couldn’t go to college. The money all would have to be committed to students by January 2011.

•$6 million to the Idaho Education Network, in addition to the Idaho Legislature’s commitment this year of $3 million for the statewide high-tech network to link the state’s schools. The foundation said the network can help bring advanced high school classes to rural schools, among other benefits.

•Up to $3 million for a public awareness campaign about opportunities beyond high school, which already has kicked off with TV and radio ads airing statewide and billboards around the state.

The Albertson Foundation is a private family foundation formed by the founders of the Albertson’s grocery chain, dedicated to improving education in Idaho. This year, it’ll donate $22 million toward improving Idaho education; it averages about $25 million a year, depending on investment earnings.

State Superintendent of Schools Tom Luna joined Otter and state Board of Education President Paul Agidius on Monday in praising the foundation’s initiative.