Beyond the Books: Cuts to higher education

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — In this week's "Beyond the Books", we take a closer look at state budget cuts to higher education.

Lawmakers in the joint finance-appropriations committee approved ten "maintenance" budget bills last week, totaling more than $5.5 billion dollars. These bills essentially roll this years funding into next year, but with a twist: most state agencies are facing new cuts.

Universities like Idaho State University are facing additional reductions on top of previous cuts, while K-12 schools have largely been spared. Critics are warning these across-the-board cuts could create long-term issues, even if they save money in the short term.

"It became apparent that we were looking at an 8.3 million dollar budget reduction that we needed to make by July first of 2026, and we had less than 9 months to figure that out." said ISU President Robert Wagner. "It's brought a lot of concern, emotions sometimes anger, I appreciate that, I understand that, and so for me, first and foremost, it's about the ability to be empathetic and to understand."

The $8.3 million may not be the final number. JFAC working groups are reviewing the budgets behind the scenes, and follow-up "enhancement" bills could increase - or decrease - agency funding.

Amid this uncertainty, higher education programs are already feeling the squeeze. A medical residency in Pocatello, for example, could be at risk from even small cuts. The next few weeks will be key for lawmakers and university leaders.

Some bills being considered include one that would cause the State Board of Education to conduct most searches and interviews for presidential candidates of higher education institutions behind closed doors, and only release one finalists name. The new law would be aimed at protecting current jobs, but it's a major change from the current five-finalist process.

Another bill, lawmakers are also considering setting a statewide school start date. It would be the Tuesday after Labor Day. The House Education Committee introduced the bill on Monday. It will likely see some debate if it reaches a public hearing. It would give families more predictability, but rural areas with harvest breaks could give some push back. It's also raising questions about honoring local control of school boards, as of right now, districts choose their own schedules.

You can visit idahoednews.org for further updates on education legislation.