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Eye On Boise

Idaho’s three community colleges make their budget pitches to lawmakers

NIC President Joe Dunlap makes his budget pitch to JFAC on Monday morning (Betsy Z. Russell)
NIC President Joe Dunlap makes his budget pitch to JFAC on Monday morning (Betsy Z. Russell)

Idaho’s three community colleges – North Idaho College in Coeur d’Alene, the College of Southern Idaho in Twin Falls and the College of Western Idaho in Nampa – are up for their budget hearings this morning; you can watch live here. NIC President Joe Dunlap told the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee, “Community colleges still offer the best bang for the educational buck.” Idaho’s three community colleges are the three lowest-cost higher-ed options in the region, he said. “So there is considerable value for our citizens in our community colleges.”

The average cost to attend NIC in 2014-2015 was $3,022, Dunlap said. The college hasn’t increased its Kootenai County property tax in the last three consecutive years, he said; it’s cut its overall operational budget by $2.5 million, while establishing 17 new career and technical programs. “We have made significant strides in securing grant funding … particularly to support and begin new career and technical education programs,” he told lawmakers.

Overall, Gov. Butch Otter is recommending a 9.6 percent increase in state funding to Idaho’s community colleges next year. 



Betsy Z. Russell

Betsy Z. Russell joined The Spokesman-Review in 1991. She currently is a reporter in the Boise Bureau covering Idaho state government and politics, and other news from Idaho's state capital.

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