State Policy
Longtime deputy controller to take helm at State Board
Joshua Whitworth will start as the State Board’s executive director on July 1. But in a new and potentially politicized process, the state Senate will vote on Whitworth’s hire next winter.
The $100,000 club: Idaho’s costliest legislative primaries
In an expensive GOP primary, a dozen legislative races reached the six-figure threshold, with candidates spending at least $100,000. The results were mixed. Hardliners won several races, while other candidates beat back hardline opposition.
Journalists barred from observing first day of Idaho Republican state convention
“In my mind, this is a private group,” state GOP chairwoman Dorothy Moon said Thursday. “It’s a private association.”
In-depth: After a year of uncertainties, the summer of Launch begins
It will be years before we know if Idaho Launch is improving Idaho’s stubbornly low college go-on rates — or whether Launch grads are staying in Idaho to work. We know this much: This summer, 9,250 students will receive the first set of Launch scholarships.
State Board sets new minimum instructional days. What that means for four-day districts
Also on Wednesday, the board approved raises for three college and university presidents.
Lawmakers get a glimpse into CWI’s growth — and the challenges that come with it
In barely 15 years, the College of Western Idaho has grown from zero students to 30,000 students. College officials are talking about how to accommodate 50,000 students, President Gordon Jones said.
Is Launch reaching a new group of graduates? It’s possible
Many Launch applicants have grade-point averages that fall below the statewide mean of 2.9, suggesting the program is connecting with students who wouldn’t normally consider college.
‘Phoenix or bust:’ As a plan to rework the purchase flamed out, frustrations flared
Idaho Education News reviewed hundreds of pages of internal emails, for a behind-the-scenes look at the Statehouse debate over the proposed University of Phoenix megadeal.
Analysis: A turbulent primary, and maybe a glimpse into the future
Fifteen incumbents lost on Tuesday. The Legislature appears poised to shift further to the right. And outside PAC money made the primaries more costly and more caustic.
Who’s spending in Tuesday’s election? A guide to some key players
A complicated — and competing — network of outside groups has funneled hundreds of thousands of dollars into Tuesday’s legislative primaries. Let’s try to untangle the spider web.