College of Western Idaho’s (CWI) Board of Trustees are considering a bond measure that would be on the November 2016 ballot. The bond would support the College’s capital development plans for two buildings and infrastructure on the Nampa Campus and a building and infrastructure on the Ada County Campus in Boise.
Since the first class offerings in 2009, CWI’s enrollment has skyrocketed to now serving more than 20,000 students every year. To keep up with the demand, the College has assumed several leased buildings in business complexes located in Boise and Nampa costing more than $2Million a year. The Treasure Valley has the largest population concentration in Idaho and projections completed by COMPASS indicate the population could double by year 2040.
CWI has three primary sources of revenue: tuition and fees, property taxes, and state appropriations. Currently, the College’s tuition and fees are nearly half the cost of Idaho’s public universities, the property tax levy rate is $16.63 compared to Idaho’s other community colleges with levy’s ranging from $95-$112 per $100,00, and state funding for CWI is 61 percent of the average of Idaho’s other community colleges based on full-time equivalent student enrollment.
“As the largest serving community college in Idaho, CWI needs funding support to expand into permanent facilities that will serve the valley now and into the future,” states Mary Niland, Chair of the Board of Trustees. “CWI will continue to operate as lean as possible to continue providing affordable, quality teaching and learning opportunities for our students. The long-term viability of CWI is imperative for the Treasure Valley.”
No dollar amount has been finalized. The Board will review additional information in their June meeting. The development of programs at each campus locations along with the mix of online training will be programmed with input from people throughout the community. CWI is programming to help Idaho meet the goal of 60 percent of Idahoans age 25-34 attaining a certificate or degree.