Idaho Looks to Restore School Funding Protections (ID)

April 6, 2011

BOISE, Idaho — The state would guarantee school districts with enrollment declines most of their previous year’s funding to help shield teacher jobs, under a bill headed to the Idaho House.

The legislation was approved by the House Education Committee on Tuesday. It temporarily restores funding protections that schools chief Tom Luna eliminated in his education reforms, which have cleared the 2011 Idaho Legislature.

Luna’s reforms eliminate the law that guarantees school districts with enrollment declines 99 percent of their previous year’s funding. Luna included a 10 percent severance provision to soften the blow for teachers who are laid off because of enrollment declines.

Republican Rep. Ken Robert’s bill would nix the severance, but allow districts with enrollment declines to keep 97 percent of last year’s funding — for one year.