College of Western Idaho Struggling With Funding Decisions

The College of Western Idaho has grown over from a new institution in 2009 to a educational home to more than 24,000 students. Now, they're dealing with some tough choices.

As their student population has continued to grow, they put forward a bond proposal last year asking Ada and Canyon County voters to approve $180 million dollars for expansion. That bond was rejected.

The college had expressed a desire to construct a new health and science building at it's main campus in Nampa. That was budgeted at $43 million dollars. So far, they haven't figured out how to see that project to fruition.

They also have a vacant parcel of 10 acres of land in West Boise that they purchased for $9 million dollars. One proposal would see them selling that land putting the proceeds towards the new health and sciences building.

That move to build their own buildings is also a long-term solution to what will become a challenge when leases on a handful of buildings they currently occupy come up for renewal. That could prove to be costly for the college and will begin to impact the budget in 2019.

KBOI TV 2 has more on what has happened to lead to this and what the college is considering doing to fix the problem.