State Superintendent Debbie Critchfield is supporting her call to plug a gaping hole in this year's K-12 budget.
On Monday, the Republican superintendent submitted his annual spending request to the Legislature's Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee. Critchfield's most important budget proposal for next year is a $40 million results-based funding pilot program.
But much of Monday's discussion focused on additional requests for this budget year, which runs through June 30, and whether the Legislature will follow through on its 2022 promise to increase public school funding by $330 million. Critchfield recently asked lawmakers for $162 million to fill the gap caused by a return to an attendance-based funding formula.
“We want to make sure that the K-12 dollars that are put into our public schools stay in our public schools,” she told JFAC on Monday. “This proposal is budget neutral. “The money has already been appropriated and we want it to reach the schools.”
In 2022, Congress passed House Bill 1, which promises an additional $330 million in ongoing funding for K-12. In 2023, the Legislature ultimately allocated $380 million to the Department of Education, most of which went to teacher salaries and discretionary funds. But lawmakers also allowed the pandemic-era funding formula based on enrollment to expire, reverting to an attendance-based formula that would provide less funding to schools.
The massive amounts of money given to the Department of Education this year cannot be distributed to school districts under an attendance-based formula. Critchfield requested $162 million in discretionary funding. These are funds that can be used by school administrators for any purpose, but are mostly directed toward staff.
The exact dollar amount a school would lose under the attendance formula has fluctuated. The December gap, based on attendance at the time, was $162 million. It's now closer to $145 million based on February attendance, according to congressional analysts.
Rep. Wendy Horman, co-chair of JFAC, told Idaho Education News after Monday's meeting: “This was a moving target and caused a lot of confusion in the district.” “But I think what became clear today is that there is $330 million in the base (budget). It will work out one way or another.”
The $145 million shortfall is not related to switching funding formulas, according to Jared Tatro, senior analyst with the Legislative Services Office. Three-quarters of that is tied to a return to an attendance-based formula, while the remaining 25% would have come from school budgets anyway.
That's because students are moving between public schools, including charters, Tatro said. This year, total public school enrollment fell by just 95 students, but that's roughly 19,000 students, according to the formula.
“A student here or there can impact a unit of support,” Tatro said, referring to the metrics used to distribute public school funding. “The number of charter schools has increased, but the number of traditional school districts has decreased.”
Critchfield added that teachers and administrators are still struggling to get students to class even after the COVID-19 pandemic. “We want that money to go where the students are, and we believe we are prepared to do that,” she said.
Here's what Critchfield and JFAC discussed:
Decreased insurance funds. School districts could see their health insurance funding cut by about $33 million. This means a reduction from $13,750 to $13,000 per employee.
Roughly half of the cuts come from attendance-based funding use. Because insurance costs are distributed per unit of support, they are roughly similar to the costs of running a classroom. The other half of the cuts are part of a reduction in statewide health insurance spending.
After the state changed insurers, Gov. Brad Little recommended cutting health insurance funding across state agencies. Recently, school employees were added to the list of state workers affected by statewide insurance spending decisions.
In 2022, the Legislature approved Little's plan to secure $75 million to encourage schools to participate in the state's health insurance plan. Fewer than a few dozen of Idaho's 190 school districts and charter schools have agreed to the deal.
“It’s a better plan than some districts can offer to their employees,” Gideon Tolman, the Department of Education’s chief financial officer, told EdNews. “There are a lot of districts that have better plans than the state plan.”
Little's incentive strategy tied school insurance spending to statewide insurance funding moving forward. Senator Janie Ward-Engelking questioned whether school insurance costs would decrease to match state funding cuts and, if not, how the gap would be made up.
Tatro said he couldn't say whether costs would go down because most districts have different plans than the state. “Like any other program, we need to do this through discretionary funds, levies or other funding sources,” he said.
Data collection audit. The Idaho Department of Education budget includes $84,400 for the auditor general to ensure the state funds school districts based on accurate data.
About two years ago, legislative auditors found that the state had not properly monitored data submitted to the Idaho System for Education Excellence, a longitudinal data system that helps school districts calculate funding.
“We have continued to engage in discussions with the department to revise the audit findings and have also made some changes to the way we oversee the audit,” said April Renfro, chief auditor for the Legislative Services Office. “My understanding is that this position will help us accomplish some tasks that we haven’t been able to complete yet.”
House Education creates its own budget wish list.
Meanwhile, the House Education Committee has its own budget message for JFAC. Give K-12 the money it was promised last year.
The committee wants JFAC to send the full $330 million allocated to schools last year. This includes more than $145 million still in limbo from the transition to attendance-based funding.
“There is a gap between what we voted for and what was spent,” said House Education Chairwoman Julie Yamamoto, R-Caldwell, who is scheduled to attend JFAC Wednesday morning.
House Education is also recommending $40 million in outcomes-based funding. A committee passed the results-based pilot bill Friday morning, and the House is expected to vote on it this week.
Traditionally, JFAC invites the chair of a policy-making committee to make recommendations on behalf of its members. And while the Board of Education has a say in policy proposals such as outcomes-based funding, committee members noted that JFAC will often chart its own course on spending issues.
“It’s an awkward moment,” said Rep. Lance Clow, R-Twin Falls, a former House education chairman. “It will be fun.”
Holocaust education proposal heads to Senate
We are one step closer to passing a Holocaust education resolution.
The Senate Education Committee unanimously approved House Concurrent Resolution 25. The resolution calls on the Idaho Department of Education to adopt “age-appropriate Holocaust education in social studies classes.”
Essentially, this means that states must consider Holocaust education every five years when they review their overall sociology standards. Local schools can then choose a curriculum that adheres to these standards.
HCR 25 now heads to the Senate.
Co-sponsored by three House members – Rep. Stephanie Mickelsen, R-Idaho Falls; Ilana Rubel, D-Boise; and Josh Wheeler, R-Ammon — The resolution has already passed the House unanimously.
Senate passes ban on classroom flags
A bill is headed to the House that would ban public school employees from displaying flags on campus.
The Senate overwhelmingly approved Senate Bill 1362 on Monday. All flags are prohibited on campus other than those on a long list of exceptions.
Sponsor Sen. Chris Trakel (R-Caldwell) said certain flags in classrooms could make students uncomfortable. He pointed to LGBTQ+ pride flags or flags representing rival sports teams. “The best way to solve this problem and ensure schools continue to do what they are supposed to do is to eliminate the possibility of that happening.”
The Senate voted 31 to 4 to approve the bill. Three Democrats opposed it, saying it was unclear whether the flag could be flown for educational purposes and that the state should permanently add it to the exemption list.
“When you write a grocery list, you’re sure to forget something,” said Senate Minority Leader Melissa Wintrow, D-Boise. She said, “I wish I could trust my teacher more than that.”
Exemptions from the ban include:
- American flag.
- Flags of foreign countries.
- It is the official flag of U.S. state and local governments.
- Official school, college and university flags.
- Flags of U.S. military branches and units.
- Flag of an Indian tribe.
- This is a flag recognized by the Ministry of Education for achievements.
- A flag representing the school mascot or colors.