Administrators for Idaho’s newest college that’s scheduled to open in January in Nampa have proposed cutting a quarter of the school’s budget to avoid breaking a promise to voters to keep property taxes down.

The cuts to the College of Western Idaho would see the 2009 budget drop from $16 million to $12 million, a move that would require the school to reduce the amount of classroom space in local high schools and delay hiring about eight support staff.

Administrators have also recommended reducing the 2010 budget from $18.1 million to $16.9 million. The school’s board of trustees did not make a decision on the cuts at its meeting.

Meanwhile, the Board of Trustees at the College of Southern Idaho has voted to ban smoking on campus beginning Aug. 25.

Students at Monday’s board meeting told trustees that banning smoking is important to the school’s image as a leader in health science education. Fines for smoking on campus are being discussed.

Once the ban begins the school will join Boise University as having a nonsmoking campus. (AP)

The Idaho State Board of Education is scheduled to consider relinquishing management of a federal grant that helps low-income students attend college. If trustees approves transfer of the program to the Idaho Department of Education, the power shift would be the first since the board came under heavy fire from the governor and the state Senate Education Committee last year for accounting miscues.

Idaho lost nearly $18 million in a “Gear Up” program grant because the way the board originally planned to provide state matching funds violated federal rules. The agency collected private foundations and matching state funding to save the grant money. Trustees are scheduled to consider the “Gear Up” program transfer when they meet Thursday and Friday. (AP)

The Idaho Department of Education has signed on with a new on-line program designed to help students statewide improve their math skills.

Tom Luna, state superintendent of public instruction, announced the new program Monday. He says the department has signed a contract with Apangea Learning Incorporated, a Pittsburgh-based company, to provide math instruction and tutoring services to students struggling with the subject.

The company’s program is called SmartHelp math and is being used in schools in more than 20 states nationwide to supplement class work, help teach problem solving skills and motivate students to achieve in math. Luna says the contract is the latest component to the Idaho Math Initiative, a legislative-approved project aimed at providing teachers more tools to bolster math achievement at all grade levels.
(AP)