Education Matters
12/14/23
Co-Published today in the Idaho Statesman with ProPublica is an article on Idaho Republicans this upcoming session introducing a bill to lower School Bond Issue passage requirements from a 67% super-majority to a simple 50%+1 majority. Even this they admit is a heavy lift and unlikely to pass in our conservative Legislature (being an Amendment to the Idaho Constitution it would require a 60% “Yes” vote for passage in the Legislature)
Our Public Schools are crumbling due to lack of funding for adequate maintenance. This proposal, already acknowledged by the Republican sponsors of this amendment, as being unlikely to pass, would only be a band-aide on fundamental Public School Funding by our Legislature. In 2005, the Idaho Supreme Court ruled that Idaho’s lack of Public School Infrastructure Funding was Unconstitutional (Article IX, Section 1). Two decades later, our Conservative Legislature continues to ignore this. This is a State responsibility to cover and should not depend on Local Bond initiatives to fund.
I believe access to a quality Public Education is our future.
Notes:
Idaho Stateman Article:
https://www.msn.com/.../idaho-republicans.../ar-AA1lus5t...
Idaho Legislature’s K-12 school facility report dated January 2022
