Investing in our kids is how we ensure the next generation can earn good wages, build a strong economy, and achieve an educated citizenry. And Idaho voters of all political stripes want strong schools, colleges and universities. But Idaho’s Republican majority is abandoning this commitment. While deep healthcare cuts may have dominated the headlines this Legislative Session, the GOP also left growing holes in education funding.
When costs explode, flat state funding means cuts. School districts across Idaho are grappling with the impact. The Bonneville School District may eliminate dozens of staff and terminate a reading program. If Middleton’s levy fails again, they will lose seven teachers, eliminate 15 additional staff, and forgo school security. Twin Falls already voted to cut about 20 staff. Other districts face similar consequences.
The Idaho Digital Learning Alliance offers remote learning opportunities for every child across the state. It’s crucial for rural students whose schools don’t offer specialized classes or dual credit courses that give kids a jumpstart on college and postsecondary career training. Republican legislators gutted it, slashing funds in half. That means higher out-of-pocket costs and fewer opportunities for our kids.
Some damage happened before the Legislative Session even began. Idaho has a $100 million funding gap for special education. Superintendent Critchfield proposed to close it by $50 million. It’s sad the state’s top education leader only wanted to solve the problem halfway. But she refused to do even this and withdrew the plan entirely. In the end, she backed a band-aid solution of $5 million in one-time dollars. Our kids with special needs will be back at square one next year.
High school seniors were slapped with a $10 million reduction to LAUNCH scholarships, which provide a pathway to in-demand careers. This closes the door to economic opportunities. Meanwhile, Idaho’s colleges and universities are absorbing a 5 percent cut, on top of years of disinvestment and rising costs. Increased tuition is making it harder for students to enroll. Layoffs, hiring freezes, and fewer offerings are leading to graduation delays.
These cuts shortchange our kids and our shared economic future. And they are a result of Republicans’ insistence on cutting taxes for the wealthy and profitable corporations. All
the while, the GOP refused to tap the state’s $1.3 billion in reserves and continued to spend $50 million on private school subsidies, even though the state can’t afford it.
It’s no wonder House Republicans were a no-show for their press conference after the Legislature adjourned for the year. Who would want to answer for these actions? What we can do now is elect leaders who support education in November.
(2) comments
Idaho has increased education spending by over $1 billion since 2020. Despite declining performance and enrollment, we keep spending more. It's never enough for educrats.
Education and medical care should be the driving issues for any political stance. Democrats have long supported these issues. America would not have a social ssecurity and medicare system for the aged if the democrats had not stepped forward and took the lead in social advancement. The first Civil Rights Bill found a platform in the 1948 Democtaic Convention. The Dixiecrats split and Mississippi and Alabama began the move to make the Republican party the party of the Slaver States.
Slaver States, Red States, like Idaho have a long standing Right to Work laws which undermined Unions whose influence of the working class was sabotaged by the great Orator Ronald Reagan. The Happy Cowboy who launched Star Wars and tripled the National debt before leaving office, big tax cuts for the wealthy with some pie in the sky theory of "trickle down." it trickled down alright. Homelessness skyrocketed in the U.S starting with the Great State of California. The State Reagan bragged was the 7th wealthiest nation in the world if an Independent Country.
The Dust Bowl Okies flocked to California. John Steinbeck had his heyday with
Grapes of Wrath. The homeless and the poor in general still flock to California.
republican Idaho has its own policy in dealing with the poor and homeless. Run em out.
Republican legislators create policy that is totally devoid of reality or common sense. The cow tow to trump anti immigrant policies hoping to get all the Trump kickback like good little doggies with tax breaks and road money. The result is an agriculture labor shortage., not to mention social chaos.
Trump thought he was the greatest man on the planet until the Pope not by word alone but by action reduced him to just another world tyrant.
it is the rural school that are suffering the most. It is the rural hospitals that are the worst hit. Private school subsidies are anti constitutional. The U.S is fast becoming a theocracy with the Salem Witch trials becoming the legal standard of something called kangaroo justice.
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