Superintendent of public instruction asks Idaho legislators for 6.4 percent increase in public school funding
BOISE — Newly elected Superintendent of Public Instruction Sherri Ybarra proposed for more funds to be distributed at a local level among the K-12 school districts of Idaho during her budget request for the upcoming fiscal year to the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee Thursday.
Sherri Ybarra
“Local trustees and administrators have a much better understanding and perspective of the specific needs and problems in their own communities than we have in Boise,” Ybarra said. “I think we all agree that local control is how we can best serve Idaho’s children.”
Ybarra proposed a 7.9 percent increase in the amount of discretionary funding available to school districts, which can be used for anything from utilities to textbooks.
Currently, schools are apportioned about $22,104 per classroom unit, and Ybarra said she would like to increase this to $24,160 per classroom unit.
While Ybarra’s proposal is greater than Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter’s discretionary fund request of $23,659 per classroom unit, her proposal does not reach the pre-recession peak of $25,696 per classroom unit in 2009, prior to Idaho’s school budgets being cut.
Ybarra also proposed a 6.4 percent increase to public school funding, which would put the total general fund apportionment dedicated to K-12 schooling near $1.462 billion.
Gov. Otter proposed a 7.4 increase in public school funding during his budget proposal, which equates to a $101.1 million increase versus Ybarra’s increase proposal of $87.1 million.
Ybarra also suggested $25 million of her general fund request be apportioned to fund a pilot program for a teacher career ladder pay plan and for the committee to “stay tuned for the details.” She said this pilot program and the $25 million to fund it would be phased in over a four-year period starting next year, and it would use nine public schools and one charter school to figure out how teachers should be paid along the career ladder system.
“They will fill in the blanks for us,” Ybarra said.
Ybarra also stated her aim to address classroom crowding by placing a statutory limit on classroom sizes in kindergarten through third grade.
However, she clarified in a press conference later that this was a “wish list” item, as she had not budgeted any funds to support this move.
Sen. Roy Lacey, D-Pocatello, expressed nervousness about the budget proposal, and said he felt many questions were left unanswered.
“Ordinarily, we have an idea of what is going to happen,” Lacey said. “So are you waiting on legislation, or are you waiting on information to get us some good solid figures?”
After Ybarra said she did not know what Sen. Lacey was asking, Senate Finance Chairman Dean Cameron, R-Rupert, clarified.
“In past presentations, sometimes there’s a little more detail as to what the budget will entail,” Cameron said. “But … we have the state board’s recommendation, and so we’re sort of in this awkward position trying to determine whether or not legislation will come forth and how we budget to it, and of course that’s what we’re concerned about.”
The majority of the legislators’ questions directed to Ybarra were deferred to her team to answer. She said she had “inherited” the budget, and many of the details were still being worked out.
George Wood Jr. can be reached at [email protected]