The State Board of Education has awarded $83,000 in pay raises to three Idaho college presidents next school year, while many of the schools' staffs will get no raises at all.

Board members supported the raises Thursday because the presidents are doing an excellent job, and the board members want them competitively compensated, said Mark Browning, a board spokesman.

The action comes two months after the board waived a policy in order to let the University of Idaho Foundation kick in $37,000 to attract Duane Nellis, the Kansas State University provost, to be the next U of I president. Nellis took the job. He will receive $335,000 a year.

The board approved $37,000 each in increases for Boise State University President Bob Kustra and Idaho State University President Arthur Vailas. The money will come from each of the school's foundations.

Dene Thomas, Lewis Clark State College president, will get a $9,166 increase paid from state funds.

Shortly after the board granted the raises, Kustra announced that he will donate $35,000 of next year's raise to a scholarship he's creating at Boise State. Thomas said she would start a scholarship for incoming freshmen and use part of her raise to fund it, a school spokesman said.

According to a spokesman, Vailas said that what he chooses to do with his compensation is a personal choice.

The board also directed its staff to draft three-year contracts for each of the presidents, just as Nellis received when he was hired.

Tom Luna, state superintendent of public instruction and a State Board member, voted against the raises. Luna cut his own public education budget as the economy deteriorated.

"I see a lot of high-quality, great educators that are at best seeing a pay freeze," Luna told the Idaho Statesman. "I think it sends the wrong message."

Kustra said, "It is not an appropriate time for me to be taking an increase like this."

Money for Kustra and Vailas' salary increases was raised by their university foundations after the State Board waived the prohibition against foundations contributing to presidential compensation.

Giving foundations an opportunity to boost presidents' salaries became a fairness issue after the board let U of I Foundation contribute to Nellis' pay, said Mike Byrne, ISU Foundation president.

The ISU Foundation did not take away any scholarship dollars to contribute to Vailas' salary. But Byrne said he doesn't yet know if the sliding economy, which ate into ISU's endowment, will affect scholarships for next year.

The foundation raises money for all kinds of projects from new buildings to scholarships, Byrne said, so that students are assured they will be educated at a high-quality institution.

BSU Foundation leaders could not be reached for comment.

The State Board in 2004 ordered an end to foundations helping pay presidents' salaries after the failure of University Place, a University of Idaho campus project in Boise that fell apart over questions of financial management.

The board said then it did not want college presidents servings two masters.

LCSC's foundation did not contribute to Thomas' salary because its endowment is small - about $5 million - and the foundation needs to focus on scholarships, said Lori Skelton, executive director.

Details of Kustra's scholarship are still being worked out.

Bill Roberts: 377-6408