[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6322255,"mediaKeyId","2348169-12e9ae2a524371702e57e8c86e6d584f","parentId",2348169,"title","Division of Financial Management requests one senior analyst position, DFM leaders cite turnover and reporting need","audioSeconds",378,"startMs",5356635,"endMs",5735165,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2348169-12e9ae2a524371702e57e8c86e6d584f&start=5356&end=5735","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2348169-12e9ae2a524371702e57e8c86e6d584f/thumbnail_5356635.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6322255/Idaho/Division-of-Financial-Management-requests-one-senior-analyst-position-DFM-leaders-cite-turnover-and-reporting-need","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6322255-640fa0336e66e0b2e28ecc63c66ec9dd/orig.mp4?Expires=1771054837&Signature=YQzpZE2cpK3tfQSuYl0fjEjt4O6AX2syGV0cCHNdQb2Kopzmu-WqS3QvJzapx1iq12D8EjPrHFV2j9~-7Em1JeYRgwc09ct9K2O8dhyYeAbl1kLvxehl2BhyF0xIg2bkemNqtdkPUBog0Dcl6pQU6wouh~xL-g3yEIRI~8K9wcT9epgW5lzvjCKZxFT5OHuFfZpwY8o-pVsta-6XOKgcjdhuEuUBps1rxvEGXUpPDo70P4As3p4gQerAwS8WUIYw~0UoqZ2xiW-OQAjiGo7qcWaVOqOuVgpuRJyrxoK-kD7yeryyAvwMz2Rh5w5uPxxIJoDkIii9rzWTQ9K~4VnH3g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Idaho Legislature","date","2025-02-19T00:00:00Z","article","The Division of Financial Management requested an ongoing financial management analyst senior position and modest IT replacement items during the Joint Finance Preparation Committee hearing. Christopher LaHosa of Legislative Services summarized the request and DFM Administrator Laurie Wolf described recent turnover and current staffing.

LaHosa said DFM requested $124,400 in total (personnel and operating) and one additional full-time equivalent position in the budget bureau to strengthen financial reporting and oversight. The request included $118,100 in ongoing personnel costs, $500 in ongoing operating costs and $5,800 one-time to purchase equipment for onboarding. DFM also requested $21,100 for IT replacement items recommended by ITS (four network switches).

Why this matters: DFM serves as the governor’s chief budget office and provides reporting and monitoring across executive agencies. Administrator Laurie Wolf told the committee DFM experienced leadership turnover over the prior year but is now fully staffed and expects the additional analyst to improve reporting, oversight and transparency for executive branch budgets and fiscal monitoring.

Selected direct quotes

- Christopher LaHosa, Legislative Services: \"DFM request $124,400 and 1 additional full time position for a new financial management analyst senior position within the budget bureau.\"

- Laurie Wolf, DFM Administrator: \"I assure you that you will see better results out of our office because of this and continued strong partnership with LSO and this committee on making sure you have the information you need when you need it.\"

Committee follow-ups

Members asked about historical vacancy rates and turnover; Administrator Wolf said many of the cited vacancies dated to the prior September but the office is now fully filled. The committee did not take a vote at the hearing.

Ending

DFM said it will continue to coordinate with Legislative Services and the committee on reporting improvements and deliver requested fiscal visibility items.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Joint Finance-Appropriation Committee - February 19, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","DFM asked the committee for one ongoing financial management analyst senior position and small one-time IT replacement items, citing turnover and the need for better cross-agency fiscal reporting and visibility.","taxTitle","2025 Joint Legislative Sessions, 2025 Legislative Sessions, Idaho","taxId",78212,"location","Idaho","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6322261,"ITS seeks $10 million cybersecurity fund, describes consolidation and rising attack activity",1373,3467010,4840870,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2348169-12e9ae2a524371702e57e8c86e6d584f&start=3467&end=4840","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2348169-12e9ae2a524371702e57e8c86e6d584f/thumbnail_3467010.jpg","/articles/6322261/Idaho/ITS-seeks-10-million-cybersecurity-fund-describes-consolidation-and-rising-attack-activity","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6322261-e16e4be0377062085b919e862ef53720/orig.mp4?Expires=1771054837&Signature=XepwcfXbYxKdWSJBdwx5Xy32gZGCmWiM8h3PIgfBRlxGEcj4-RY2FgMeIDsOakUeIEldxcfCbIfvkvzDzasF~Ehiaztx5p7mthWClhHRKZJi-LUGRYJ5AL4yDPe3BN9Y~XyzJZqbC9Y7kuwP-KfKFpiCFbpnohHoRIZtsvx1Z5Rt-LyqdbRJRk7Z~sM6SV7vjxkfn72MKX3xU-VjIMr0rxARZG~w0EbkcRUj9zOBslmBNZWpL~9IlbqNCB1DwQiU~9P5AKGuM1XU29Z9q1hXGjaGo0N11GQQVYVNd85qi-J5IxlavARUeqlWnCjEEUk6AUKKrwzJvyCT4xjlhY9TFg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Joint Finance Preparation Committee heard the Office of Information Technology Services (ITS) outline a multi-year consolidation plan and a proposed cybersecurity and IT resilience fund with a $10 million general-fund transfer recommended by the governor.

Christopher LaHosa, budget and policy analyst for Legislative Services, reviewed ITS’s recent consolidation history and explained the governor’s recommendation for a $10,000,000 one-time cash transfer to create a continuous-appropriation cybersecurity and IT resilience fund to be managed by ITS. LaHosa said that the fund would be used for enterprise security improvements, emergency connectivity network services, infrastructure investments and hardware replacement items that agencies otherwise might delay because of constrained replenishment cycles.

Administrator Alberto Gonzales of ITS described the practical cybersecurity risks driving the request and the agency’s operational plan. Gonzales said legacy hardware and applications across agencies create “indefensible” attack surfaces and argued a centralized fund and replacement plan would allow ITS to standardize and secure devices placed on the statewide network. He described three broad threats: user behavior (phishing/clicking), legacy hardware and legacy applications.

Why this matters: ITS argued that disparate agency purchases of hardware and staggered replacement cycles leave the state vulnerable and complicate response. A centralized fund allows ITS to prioritize and execute enterprise-wide upgrades and to reduce individual agencies’ ad hoc buying decisions.

What the committee heard

- The governor’s recommendation: creation of a cybersecurity and IT resilience fund and an accompanying $10,000,000 cash transfer from the general fund with continuous appropriation authority for ITS; Legislative Services noted the program would include annual decisions and potential future transfers as part of the budget process.

- Consolidation timeline and staffing: ITS has been consolidating IT personnel from agencies since House Bill 607 (2018). Phase 5 of ITS’s modernization includes 22 new full-time positions and ongoing costs to support onboarding of additional agencies (Idaho State Police, Department of Juvenile Corrections, and, in a later phase, Department of Health and Welfare).

- Attack and incident data shared with the committee: Alberto Gonzales reported high volumes of malicious activity in the prior year: \"our firewall had over 6,000,000 attacks... our users were attacked over 14,000,000 times... our endpoints... had over 20,000 attacks,\" and that ITS responded to roughly 15,000 security incidents with about 900 judged serious enough to require larger team responses.

- Other requests and governor adjustments: ITS requested various space, vehicle and software items (including ServiceNow for IT ticketing), an $81,700 supplemental for current-year office equipment tied to onboarding staff, and phase-5 funding for consolidation. LaHosa and Gonzalez said the governor’s recommendation modified some agency requests after negotiation with impacted agencies.

Selected direct quotes

- Alberto Gonzales, ITS Administrator: \"The intent of what we're trying to do with the cyber security and resilience fund is to ensure that... we're not putting agencies in a position where they're making choices because of the swing in their cost recovery... a lot of this hardware... is indefensible.\"

- Christopher LaHosa, Legislative Services Office: \"The governor recommends the creation of a new cybersecurity and IT resilience fund. An accompanying cash transfer of $10,000,000 from the general fund to the new fund. And continuous appropriation authority for ITS on the fund.\"

Committee discussion and concerns

Members expressed support for improved protections and asked whether the transfer and fund authority would be ongoing. ITS said the proposal starts with a one-time transfer this year and would anticipate future annual decisions through the budget process; some members signaled they understood the security sensitivity and welcomed ongoing oversight. Several members praised ITS for improvements since early consolidation phases and asked about plans and readiness for onboarding Health and Welfare and other large agencies.

Ending

ITS said it will provide additional materials and vendor quotes already included in budget submissions; the committee did not vote at the hearing but acknowledged the cybersecurity fund as a major decision point for the legislature.","The Office of Information Technology Services told the Joint Finance Preparation Committee it needs a new cybersecurity and IT resilience fund (with a proposed $10 million transfer) to pay for enterprise security improvements, emergency connectivity and hardware replacement as the agency consolidates IT across state government.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6322265,"Department requests new special-education, charter and Indian education staff as dispute and hearings rise",1215,682900,1898505,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2348169-12e9ae2a524371702e57e8c86e6d584f&start=682&end=1898","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2348169-12e9ae2a524371702e57e8c86e6d584f/thumbnail_682900.jpg","/articles/6322265/Idaho/Department-requests-new-special-education-charter-and-Indian-education-staff-as-dispute-and-hearings-rise","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6322265-3a9ba72a7654575b56ce84cfdbbe0d89/orig.mp4?Expires=1771054837&Signature=JNG73ljPB5r8pkQ1j0FhfVz2Xhyvylfd-UOhPY8Df926gxxH2RWZkNmllMzAwVtBb1N0v-wf6ktwOh9qBOkh2PMrdFOleJhtbFLoGgetWCmU9TMMT8YMMdhkfWdko0UXKXn-evOA9HS5JbEfL3qiH43B6IJOGWVm-69zLUn3ISxJc5XpzakTDG9DOMQ18-~9dzEHfKOVzsx0gWdn8BSev~LJxJ6XGrqd4zDSfxi~xLWt1cLUpvUEfjCvdvRS0bzSOHTzOmM1gXLHoOeLPwhTNdWW9DyHw3PIyYR5fjGNaShtEzRMNtCBsTvbTVRKIeDZnt-p6weyE0qNEWSUuquGsw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Joint Finance Preparation Committee on the State Department of Education budget hearing heard a request for three ongoing staff positions to address rising workload in special education, charter oversight and tribal education supports.

Debbie Critchfield, State Superintendent, described a sharp uptick in disputes that escalate to state-level involvement and said the department currently has a single dispute-resolution coordinator handling statewide work. \"We have an increase in parents that are asking for their students to be tested,\" Critchfield said, and she reported distinct increases in dispute counts: a 65% rise in requests for mediation, a 77% increase in complaints and a 1,200% increase in hearings over the prior year.

Nut graf: The department requested funding for three ongoing positions for fiscal 2026 to reduce backlog and improve timeliness — a dispute resolution specialist to support special education families and districts, a charter-school special education specialist to meet federal monitoring requirements for new charters, and a second Indian Education Coordinator to support tribal relations and related travel.

What was requested and why

- Dispute resolution specialist: one full-time position with a requested cost of $84,400 to support special education customer service and improve communication and timeliness between parents and school staff. The department said workload in dispute-resolution has increased 43% in one year and current staffing is insufficient to maintain timely interventions.

- Charter-school special education specialist: an additional position to assist the single staff member currently assigned to monitor 90 school districts and charter schools. The department noted approximately five new charters open each year and federal requirements under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Section 504 require verification that each new charter can provide special education supports.

- Indian Education Coordinator: one additional position (requested at $114,000) to assist with tribal relations, travel and programs intended to improve outcomes for tribal students; the higher cost was attributed to travel statewide to serve five sovereign tribes in Idaho.

Legal context and monitoring responsibilities

The department framed the charter and special-education positions as necessary to meet federal requirements under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. The department said its role in dispute resolution is procedural: to determine whether federal processes were followed and, when not, direct districts back to resolution processes rather than to substitute a local decision.

Selected direct quote

- Debbie Critchfield, State Superintendent: \"Our position in here is, or the dispute resolution coordinator's job is not to go in and say someone was right and someone was wrong, but it's to go in and say were the federal laws followed? Was a process followed to get to an agreement of how to best serve the child?\"

Committee follow-ups and requests

Committee members asked for additional data about the number of students receiving services and for a breakdown of funding gaps cited by the department. Superintendent Critchfield said she would provide counts and additional data to the committee.

Ending

The committee did not take formal action on the requested positions during the hearing; staff said they will return with requested counts and documentation to support the workload and cost assumptions.","Superintendent Debbie Critchfield told the committee that complaints and hearings related to special education have risen sharply and the department seeks three ongoing staff additions to handle dispute resolution, charter oversight and tribal engagement.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6322270,"State Department of Education budget hearing spotlights career-ready grants, ARPA transitions and staff requests",3521,68425,3589685,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2348169-12e9ae2a524371702e57e8c86e6d584f&start=68&end=3589","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2348169-12e9ae2a524371702e57e8c86e6d584f/thumbnail_68425.jpg","/articles/6322270/Idaho/State-Department-of-Education-budget-hearing-spotlights-career-ready-grants-ARPA-transitions-and-staff-requests","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6322270-198766d03cb0e193793cc177ce230e52/orig.mp4?Expires=1771054837&Signature=mjXUeJtTHD-RSWDTkimbjN-szMaE~XR-bQCdiDWqF4W2oyE3p8YhlOKV77KYtIa1-XFM64ugoTECo9QoFjS0AfZuEVFPIAuAPC-fVv5Unuab~ef0FpNAVfdwj5nD66WRp8msi5k94to28FD2zLJPT5utcu0JH~TeIm4EhOLJRFQTfrMicofbfh7ErfW9jLkpc~bDBRZ1s~vLuLgcw~mMLQtoDTOjPcrYd4e60JLPMSsi6caH6GX7ByP-gL-dpqj8FYvc4YSDvwbYC7cwirVQLkaGtGXSSC-XdPQEhUKaK1sZ4DINwDU4WQvBUxNNZwoxFGlqlFnPgopE2jeyY~lC1g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Joint Finance Preparation Committee on a budget hearing heard a multi-part presentation on the State Department of Education budget, funding flows and staffing needs, with Legislative Services analyst Jared Tetro and State Superintendent Debbie Critchfield outlining current balances, federal grant activity and several ongoing and one-time spending requests.

The department’s budget presentation covered personnel totals, dedicated funds, federal and ARPA grants and several enhancements the department has requested for 2026. Jared Tetro, Deputy Division Manager, Budget and Policy Analysis Division, Legislative Services Office, told the committee the Department of Education is organized into two program areas with 126.5 authorized full-time equivalent positions for the current year and that, as of the budget submission, 9.5 positions were vacant. He also said the department’s personnel costs have averaged about $13.5 million and the average personnel spend rate is roughly 83.4% of budgeted personnel authority.

The nut of the department’s fiscal picture, Tetro said, is several large, dedicated and federal funding streams that create year-to-year variance in actual spending. He highlighted that COVID-era funding (ARPA and CARES) and a recent surge of career-technical funds affected multi-year expenditure patterns. \"The Department of Education was appropriated all ARPA and CARES money related to non public schools,\" Tetro said, adding that those dollars were disbursed when private schools requested reimbursement.

Why this matters: committee members pressed for clarity because the timing of appropriations, carryforward obligations and the balance of funds determine whether the department must request state funds to meet federal reporting or program requirements.

Key details provided in the hearing

- Career-ready student program: Tetro and Superintendent Critchfield described large appropriations in recent years and a multi-step obligating process. Critchfield said the legislature has appropriated $65 million over the last two budget cycles for the Career Ready Students program; the Department received $138 million in requests across 152 grant applications, and 72 grants representing about $62.7 million have been obligated by the program’s review council. Critchfield said $16 million has been reimbursed to date and that reimbursements require documentation and often relate to capital projects that take time to incur costs.

- Federal/ARPA/ESSER timing effects: Tetro explained that multi-year federal awards and COVID-related appropriations cause unusually low percentages of some line-item spending in certain years because funds are obligated but not yet drawn down. Committee members asked for reports on where ESSER and other federal dollars had been used and whether one-time federal spending has created ongoing obligations for districts.

- Driver training and other dedicated funds: Tetro pointed out a growth in the driver-training fund balance (noting $3.8 million free balance in 2022 and an estimated $7.4 million in 2026 on the materials shown to the committee). The hearing discussed a requested increase in the drivers education reimbursement rate (pending legislation) from $150 to $300 per student to offset district costs.

- Personnel and structure changes: Tetro noted that earlier JFAC actions moved IT staff and broadband program funding from the Department of Education to the State Board of Education; he said those transfers affect base personnel costs and the department’s current-year comparatives. The department requested multiple ongoing personnel enhancements for 2026 spanning special education dispute resolution, charter-school special education support and an additional Indian education coordinator.

- Other enhancements and grants: The department described a mix of ongoing and one-time enhancements including $3 million from the Idaho Millennium Fund for youth substance-use prevention, mental-health-related federal grants, private school supports, a Child Nutrition Technology grant ($746,300 across four years) and farm-to-school ARPA funding. The department also requested one-time funding to update the performance report card required by Title I and the Every Student Succeeds Act if federal funds are not available.

Selected direct quotes

- Jared Tetro, Legislative Services Office: \"The Department of Education was appropriated all ARPA and CARES money related to non public schools. This was well over $25,000,000.\"

- Debbie Critchfield, State Superintendent: \"72 of the grants have been awarded, representing $62,700,000 that has been obligated. And in an effort to be very, very careful and provide the oversight with these dollars, we don't just send the money out immediately so that it gets commingled with other funds.\"

Committee follow-ups requested

Committee members asked for more granular reporting on: which private and nonpublic schools received COVID/ARPA reimbursements and how much; a project-level listing of obligated career-ready grants and the status of those projects; and a breakdown of how the charter-authorizer fund dollars are collected and spent.

Ending

Legislative Services and department staff told the committee they will provide follow-up reports on ARPA/ESSER usage, career-ready project statuses and a breakdown of charter-authorizer fund receipts and disbursements. The Department emphasized that many of the large recent appropriations are obligated to specific projects or contracts and therefore do not appear as free fund balances until districts request reimbursements.","At a Joint Finance Preparation Committee hearing, Legislative Services and the State Department of Education detailed the department's budget, fund balances and requests including career-ready program obligations, ARPA/ESSER spending patterns and vacancy and staffing changes.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Division of Financial Management requests one senior analyst position, DFM leaders cite turnover and reporting need

ITS seeks $10 million cybersecurity fund, describes consolidation and rising attack activity

Department requests new special-education, charter and Indian education staff as dispute and hearings rise

State Department of Education budget hearing spotlights career-ready grants, ARPA transitions and staff requests