LCSC President Cynthia Pemberton asks for state funds for maintenance projects

BOISE — Lewis-Clark State College President Cynthia Pemberton lauded the institution’s success in offering Idaho students an affordable, small-school experience in her visit to the Idaho state Capitol this week.

Pemberton appeared before House and Senate education committees Tuesday and the budget-writers of the Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee on Wednesday.

This year’s big request is for maintenance to two of the institution’s career and technical education buildings, which is included in the state Permanent Building Fund budget.

Pemberton said she told the Permanent Building Fund Advisory Council that after the $27 million Schweitzer CTE Center was built, she wouldn’t come back right after and “ask for something shiny and new.”

“What I wanted to do was invest in our 131-year-old campus,” Pemberton said. “We have considerable deferred maintenance.”

She said the $6.1 million requested for fiscal year 2025 will go toward a new HVAC system, updated fire alarm systems, and electrical power supply improvements in the Wittman Complex and Mechanical Technical Building. These buildings house diesel, welding, collision repair and other workforce training programs.

This would not cover the college’s backlog of deferred maintenance on the Mechanical Technical Building, Pemberton said, but it would make headway.

“You’ll see me again talking about that building,” she said.

The school’s total request from the state is $41.6 million in state general, dedicated and federal funds.

The president also urged lawmakers to continue to support Launch, the higher education and career training grant program that lawmakers approved last year — amid some opposition. She said 474 graduating high school seniors have indicated they might want to use their Launch grants to attend programs at LCSC, and 211 have completed all the steps to do so.

Many of them will be seeking training or education in industrial technology or nursing fields.

Pemberton said the school has existing capacity to meet this increased demand.

The school’s population is made up of many first-generation college students, as Pemberton was herself, and many part-time adult learners who have other jobs or work as caregivers. She said with all its coursework, certificate and GED programs, LCSC serves about 8,000 learners a year.

She also highlighted the college’s work as part of the U.S. Department of Education’s Second Chance Pell program, in which LCSC and the University of Idaho offer postsecondary education in state prisons. Pemberton said the first graduate of this is expected to earn his associate degree in the spring, and she plans to go to Orofino where he is incarcerated to recognize his achievement.

Guido covers Idaho politics for the Lewiston Tribune, Moscow-Pullman Daily News and Idaho Press of Nampa. She may be contacted at lguido@idahopress.com and can be found on X @EyeOnBoiseGuido.