By Ruth Brown, Idaho Reports
The administrator of the Idaho Division of Vocational Rehabilitation resigned at the end of May, following budgeting issues that came to light during the legislative session.
Mike Keckler, spokesman for the State Board of Education, confirmed to Idaho Reports on Monday that Jane Donnellan resigned from the position. Donnellan held the position for 10 years.
Matt Freeman, the SBOE executive director, is serving as the acting administrator until the SBOE appoints a new administrator.
The resignation comes after Donnellan revealed an expected budgeting shortfall during a Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee meeting in April. Later that month, in a meeting with the Idaho State Rehabilitation Council, Donnellan said told council members that its case management system did not align with the state accounting system, and staff had discovered budgeting issues dating back to 2021.
In one example Donnellan cited, the division used $3.8 million from a fiscal year 2024 appropriation on bills from the previous fiscal year, instead of on bills from FY2024, contributing to the ongoing shortfall.
The joint budget committee declined to appropriate emergency funds to mitigate the problem. The council is preparing to implement an order of selection policy to direct where funds go in case money runs out. The council is accepting public comment on the policy from today to June 14, and is also holding public meetings on the policy this week.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correctly reflect that Donnellan served as administrator for 10 years.
Ruth Brown | Producer
Ruth Brown grew up in South Dakota and her first job out of college was covering the South Dakota Legislature. She’s since moved on to Idaho lawmakers. Brown spent 10 years working in print journalism, including newspapers such as the Idaho Statesman and Idaho Press, where she’s covered everything from the correctional system to health care issues. She joined Idaho Reports in 2021 and looks forward to telling stories about how state policy can impact the lives of regular Idahoans.