LEWISTON - Lewis-Clark State College administrators say they will continue with travel and Operating Expenses budget cuts and use some reserves to help offset the 6 percent budget holdback to higher education budgets for this fiscal year order by Idaho Gov. Butch Otter on Friday.

Gov. Otter called for the cutbacks to help the state address a $151 million budget shortfall in the current fiscal year. All state agencies received notice they must holdback part of their budget. Public education was told to holdback 4 percent, but the Governor said he will ask the Idaho Legislature to use the Public Education Stabilizations Fund to offset the 4 percent and avoid a reduction in public school funding. Public education (K-12) was the only budget mentioned by the Governor that will he will ask for help with the holdbacks.

LCSC administrators said in a news release from the school that while the holdback is not good news, they have been planning for such an announcement for months because of lower than expected state revenues.

Otter was in Lewiston two weeks ago and publicly spoke about state revenues being approximately 6 percent lower than expected and that holdbacks would be necessary.

LC administrators said that no job positions or programs would be cut with the current round of holdbacks. They also added there are no plans to implement furloughs.

Administrators also emphasized that no programs would be cut or eliminated as a result of the current 6 percent holdback and that core programs and core functions of the college are essential to keep it healthy and growing.

Gov. Otter did similar holdbacks a year when he asked for a 4 percent hold back in December and another 2 percent in January.

As with those holdbacks, LCSC will further reduce travel and office expenses and will dip into its financial reserves on a one-time basis to help ease the reductions.

Although a final decision hasn't been made, the cuts could reduce the support the college gives to high school programs for dual-credit programs and teacher training for those dual-credit programs.

LCSC also could reduce the number of class sections by reducing adjunct faulty funding and irregular help.

LCSC administrators will announce their final plans for the holdbacks within the next two weeks.