Higher education pays well in the state of Idaho. Never mind that Boise State University and over colleges have had to fire people because of the pandemic. Or so they say.

The Idaho Statesman has broken down the new salaries of Boise State's new football staff. The paper/digital publication included the wages of new athletic director Jeremiah Dickey. I'd recommend looking at the article because of the detailed benefits that show how our 'public education employees' are compensated. It's remarkable to work and outstanding services if you're one of the few who get paid on the backs of students and the taxpayers.

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Remember, we're living in a world where Boise State is running commercials asking Idahoans to donate money to keep the sports programs afloat. The university cut the short-lived baseball program and the swimming and diving programs due to the pandemic. The Idaho State Legislature cut Boise State's budget by over $400,000.

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The new football coach makes 1.4 and up to 1.7 million dollars this year, plus a retirement plan if he stays for four seasons. The athletic director's base salary is over $400,000 plus incentives. Do you have a similar compensation package? Please let me know of a construction job or a call center job that rivals those benefits?

The average salary in the Gem State is $30,540, according to Rasmussen University. The tuition cost for in-state students at Boise State University is $8,060 for in-state students and $24,980 for out-of-state students per year. The graduation rate is 44.9%, reports college factual. Would anyone retain a coach or athletic director for winning less than 50% of their games?

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In fairness, not everyone is dedicated or talented enough to coach football at an elite level. However, is the cost of athletics/academic salaries worth the return on investment?

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It is naive to believe that the powers that be will reform how college athletics and academics are funded across the country? However, I think a university should be fiscally responsible for the money invested in it by taxpayers. When a new person comes to a college, we hear about how much they care about the students and how they want to make a difference. If that were true, they could start by giving all of us a discount for their services.

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