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State Board greenlights University of Idaho’s $550 million University of Phoenix purchase
This story was originally posted on IdahoEdNews.org on May 12, 2023. The State Board of Education has endorsed the University of Idaho’s $550 million plan to purchase the University of Phoenix, a for-profit, online behemoth serving some 85,000 students. Voting unanimously, the State Board endorsed a resolution allowing the U of I to set up […]
University of Idaho comes to the close of a tragic, turbulent school year
On May 13, graduates, friends and family will stream into the University of Idaho’s Kibbie Dome for spring commencement. The ceremony concludes another academic year — and frames this particular year in stark context. Commencement will come six months to the day after Ethan Chapin, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Madison Mogen were found slain […]
Analysis: To solve a student mental health crisis, Idaho first needs to measure it
The education world loves metrics. But Idaho is short one yardstick. Idaho doesn’t have a clear method of measuring school mental health issues. The best anyone can do is cobble together some mismatched statistics that suggest the problem is getting worse — and quickly. The State Board of Education heard this grim assessment Tuesday, during […]
Idaho State Board of Education bans ‘diversity statements’ from higher education job market
Idaho’s four-year schools will no longer be able to require job applicants to sign written “diversity statements.” After brief discussion, the State Board of Education unanimously passed a resolution Tuesday banning the statements “as a condition of hiring.” The resolution goes into effect immediately, and covers Boise State University, the University of Idaho, Idaho State […]
Analysis: Idahoans rallied against library bill, but the debate is far from over
This analysis was originally posted on IdahoEdNews.org on April 20, 2023. Gov. Brad Little heard from librarians from Rexburg to Riggins, from Donnelly to Bonners Ferry. He heard from lawyers. From students and homeschoolers. From teachers past and present — including two of Idaho’s past teachers of the year. And in the end, Little came […]
Idaho’s higher education system received $72.9 million for buildings: Where will the money go?
Originally posted on IdahoEdNews.org on April 13, 2023 (UPDATED, 4:12 p.m., with details from the University of Idaho.) In the waning days of the 2023 session, colleges and universities received $72.9 million for building projects. But the money will leave some work unfunded — and leave the colleges and universities scurrying to cover their remaining […]
Analysis: For Idaho Launch, the countdown to liftoff is already underway
Originally posted on IdahoEdNews.org on April 13, 2023 It was tough getting Idaho Launch through the Legislature. And it will be tough getting it off the ground. The implementation process is already underway, barely a week after Gov. Brad Little signed the last of the hotly debated Launch bills into law. By 2024, the program […]
Idaho Senate rejects Echeverria appointment to charter commission
This story was originally posted on IdahoEdNews.org on March 29, 2023. In another rare move, the Senate has rejected Gov. Brad Little’s choice for the Idaho Public Charter School Commission. In a 24-11 vote Wednesday evening, the Senate voted down Karen Echeverria, a longtime executive director of the Idaho School Boards Association. Little had appointed […]
Idaho House passes higher education budget
Originally posted on IdahoEdNews.org on March 23, 2023 After 45 minutes of raucous debate, the House passed a higher education budget late Thursday afternoon. The debate — and lawmakers’ questions — barely touched on the numbers in Senate Bill 1176, a $678.5 million spending plan for the state’s four four-year institutions. Instead, opponents focused their […]
Idaho Statehouse roundup: Tuition credit bill stalls, leaving school choice debate on ice
This story was originally posted on IdahoEdNews.org on March 22, 2023. A bill to provide state-funded private school grants appears dead for the 2023 session. The abrupt move could also bring the Legislature’s protracted debate over school choice to a grinding halt. Senate Bill 1161 — a proposal creating the five-year grant pilot — had […]
Senate passes Idaho Launch bills, as incentive plan nears finish line
This story was originally posted on IdahoEdNews.org on March 22, 2023. The Idaho Senate voted Wednesday to create Idaho Launch, a multimillion-dollar postsecondary career incentives plan. The companion bills would allow high school graduates to receive up to $8,000 to attend community college, pursue a career-technical education certificate or complete workforce training. The program carries […]
Idaho Senate signs off on property tax overhaul
This story was originally posted on IdahoEdNews.org on March 20, 2023. A complicated property tax overhaul is headed to Gov. Brad Little’s desk. After an hour’s debate, the Senate overwhelmingly passed House Bill 292 — which promises up to $355 million in immediate property tax cuts, but also carries heavy short- and long-term implications for […]