Plan wouldn’t sap NIC funds
It’s been North Idaho College’s message since the debate over the creation of a statewide community college system began: Do what you see fit, as long as it doesn’t hurt us.
It appears someone was listening.
An interim committee of state lawmakers charged with studying the need for more community colleges in Idaho made no recommendation to the Legislature on how to create a statewide system. Instead, the committee focused on ways to make local governing boards more accountable, and it recommended the voting percentage required to form a community college district be lowered from 67 percent to 60 percent.
“Basically, what’s been recommended from the committee will have – should have – no effect on their (NIC’s) funding,” said state Sen. John Goedde, of Coeur d’Alene, the Republican chairman of the interim committee.
But NIC’s not in the clear yet.
Some lawmakers aren’t happy with the recommendations and say they amount to doing essentially nothing. Gov.-elect Butch Otter has said a statewide system needs to be a priority for the Legislature next year, so the door is wide open for other proposals that could have a lasting effect on how NIC is funded and how it’s governed.
Still, NIC officials say they’re in a better position now than had the 18-member committee not studied the issue so thoroughly.
“We know at least 18 legislators came away from this process more aware than ever before of how complicated a task this is,” NIC spokesman Kent Propst said.
NIC and the College of Southern Idaho in Twin Falls are the only community colleges in Idaho. Boise is one of the largest metropolitan areas in the country with no community college, and lawmakers have been trying to decide how to create one for years. Former Gov. Dirk Kempthorne directed the 2006 Legislature to come up with a plan for a statewide system, but the legislative session ended with several failed proposals and the formation of the interim committee.
The committee’s recommendations, which now go to the Legislature for approval, hardly amount to the sweeping, statewide system some had hoped for, but Goedde said they’re a good step in the right direction.
“There was a contingent of people that promoted a statewide community college system, and that was not a recommendation of the committee,” Goedde said. “So in their eyes, we did nothing.”
Lowering the supermajority needed for creating a community college taxing district was the main recommendation.
Other recommendations include shortening the terms members of a college’s board of trustees serve from six years to four years as well as requiring trustee elections to be held on major election days.
“Both of those things were done in an effort to make trustees more responsive to the communities they represent,” Goedde said.
NIC is funded by student tuition, local property taxes and a portion of the state’s general fund. Creating a statewide system for community colleges in Idaho could mean changes to how the current colleges are funded, but Goedde said that isn’t likely. NIC and CSI made it clear that they’re happy with how things operate now. It’s more likely that a proposal could be made that changes the governance of the existing colleges, not the funding, but Goedde said even that seems unlikely.
The committee recognized the colleges’ contentment with the current system, he said.
“I don”t see that basic premise changing,” he said. “We will continue to look at essentially the status quo for the two existing community colleges.”