Legislative budget-writers began to dig into Gov. Butch Otter’s higher education “CEO” proposal Monday morning, reports Idaho Education News, and honed in on two questions: How much will the plan cost? And how much will it save?

The cost is clear enough, at least in the short run. Otter wants $769,500 to launch this overhaul in 2018-19 – enough to hire a consultant and add a $200,000-a-year administrator. The savings potential remains unclear, writes EdNews reporter Kevin Richert.

“It’s going to cost money to save money,” State Board of Education executive director Matt Freeman told the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee Monday. “It will be a large undertaking.”

The CEO proposal has emerged as Otter’s most scrutinized — but not largest — line item to overhaul the state’s higher education system. The CEO, or “chief education officer,” would be expected to streamline administrative work on the state’s college and university campuses, finding savings that could be moved into student scholarships or other academic programs.

“We believe there is a tremendous potential for savings in undertaking this,” State Board President Linda Clark told JFAC Monday. Otter’s State Board formally endorsed the CEO proposal Thursday.

The Idaho plan is modeled somewhat after Maine, which moved to a chancellor system when state revenues and college enrollment both dropped during the recession. Otter has stopped short of calling for a chancellor, opting for a CEO who will focus on administrative functions such as payroll, personnel and IT. You can read Richert’s full report here.

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