Public schools are one step closer to recouping money lost due to the recent return to an attendance-based funding formula. School districts can have discretion over how most, if not all, of their funds are spent.
The Legislature's budget committee advanced a K-12 funding bill Friday that would increase state spending on public schools by $110.6 million in total. The Joint Finance-Budget Committee has already finalized a $3 billion baseline public school budget for the upcoming fiscal year. The budget bill must be approved by the House and Senate before being sent to the governor's desk.
Friday's new budget “improvements” include about $145 million to account for a funding gap largely caused by the switch this year from enrollment-based funding to a model based on attendance declines.
The money will be distributed in three tranches.
- $105 million in discretionary funding for fiscal 2024, which ends June 30.
- In fiscal year 2025, $20 million was transferred to the District Facilities Fund.
- In fiscal year 2025, $20 million was transferred to the Career Ready Students program.
Funding has been one of State Superintendent Debbie Critchfield's priorities during the legislative session. The first Republican urged lawmakers to fully implement the nearly $380 million K-12 funding increase lawmakers appropriated last session.
Critchfield initially requested $162 million in discretionary funding for the current fiscal year to plug the hole. These figures are based on December school attendance data, but an analysis of February attendance data narrowed the gap to $145 million.
“It’s been a little bit of a moving target,” said Rep. James Petzke, R-Meridian. “We didn’t know exactly what those numbers were going to be. The important thing here is that we would secure every dollar earmarked to help schools during fiscal year 2024.”
If the full House, the full Senate and Gov. Brad Little approve the budget committee's recommendations, $105 million in discretionary funding could be exhausted before the end of the current school year. School districts can use discretionary funds for any expenses, but they typically use them for operating expenses, such as staff salaries.
“I’m very pleased to see that most of the stuff has been decided on a discretionary basis,” Critchfield said after Friday’s committee hearing. “So our district has been able to use that in some way at the end of the district.”
The remaining $40 million needed to fully close the attendance formula gap would reach schools through a more complex route. JFAC proposed a one-time cash transfer from the Public School Income Fund to two other funds: the District Facilities Fund and the Career Ready Students Program. The $40 million will be split equally between them.
The District Facilities Fund, created last year by House Bill 292, a sweeping property tax relief law, helps districts pay bonds and levies. Career Ready Students helps school districts expand their capacity for career technical education programs.
Rep. Wendy Horman, co-chair of the budget committee, praised JFAC's decision to provide funding to schools despite sharp declines in units of support, a K-12 funding vehicle that essentially represents the cost of operating classrooms. The state's funding formula this year produced nearly 700 fewer aid units than last year. Most of the decline was due to the switch to attendance-based calculations, but declining school enrollment also played a role, according to legislative budget analysts.
“Despite having fewer students and fewer support units, we are investing very heavily in school facilities for the students we have,” said Horman, R-Idaho Falls.
Facilities bill trailer heads to Senate floor.
The Senate is set to vote on four bills that would rework parts of a complex school facilities bill.
The Senate State Affairs Committee sent four “trailer” bills to the Senate Friday morning. The move comes a day after the Senate passed an omnibus facilities bill that Gov. Brad Little is almost certain to sign into law and a day after the Budget Committee advanced funding legislation for some of the new facilities. Financing.
The Senate bill could rewind and replace parts of House Bill 521. Particularly controversial are the formula for allocating funds to school construction projects and a provision that could prevent schools from operating on a four-day schedule.
“I’m going to try to get all of these bills on the floor for a vote so we can have a good debate about them,” said Senate Majority Leader Kelly Anthon, R-Burley, before the committee sent the four bills to the full Senate.
Those four votes came after a lively committee discussion and passionate testimony from rural educators who use the four-day school schedule.
Senators focused their discussion on the funding formula, a mechanism that would provide a historic $1 billion to offset school construction costs. As written, HB 521 distributes money based on student attendance. Also sets the floor. Every district will receive at least $25,000.
Two of the Senate bills would raise the minimum to $100,000 and limit payments to $100 million.
The increased minimum amount is designed to help the state's smallest rural areas, which still face ongoing construction and maintenance costs.
However, this cap only affects the West Ada School District, the largest school district in Idaho. Under HB 521, West Ada would receive $140 million.
Sens. Chuck Winder, R-Boise, and Treg Bernt, R-Meridian, have vehemently opposed the cap.
“I will advocate for our school district,” said Winder, who represents a legislative district that covers part of West Ada. “I think this is just another opportunity for them.”
Sen. Melissa Wintrow debated another cap in HB 521, which none of the Senate bills address. The omnibus bill limits payments to Idaho's three “charter” school districts to $40 million. The district retains its own taxing authority prior to statehood. Boise is one of those areas.
“Boise is always the one in the spotlight,” said D-Boise Wintrow.
Genesee Superintendent Wendy Moore argued for an increase in the cap, saying the $25,000 payment was inadequate. In north-central Idaho, it costs $17,000 to replace a school staircase without installing railings, she said.
A group of rural educators gave speeches in favor of a four-day schedule. Schools can adopt a four-day calendar as long as they meet state requirements for minimum instructional hours, and 96 districts and charters have converted to a four-day calendar week. “This is definitely an issue that will be up to local elected officials,” Homedale School District Superintendent Rob Sauer said nine years ago.
The Ririe School District has taken similar action this school year, devoting Fridays to teacher collaboration and additional support for students, Superintendent Jeff Gee said. The move also helps Ririe recruit teachers who might otherwise go to larger districts, he said.
HB 521 does not explicitly ban four-day schools and may not affect existing four-day schools. But the language in the 30-page bill could make it more difficult for schools to switch to a four-day calendar.
Four trailer bills were introduced Thursday and come out at the 11th hour.Day hour. Legislative leaders said they hope to conclude the 2024 session next week.
School boards summon reform leaders to the governor.
The Senate narrowly approved a bill that would prohibit school board trustees subject to a recall election from making financial decisions on behalf of the district between election and certification.
House Bill 645 It now heads to the governor's seat after senators voted 18-16 in favor. The bill, authored by Rep. Mark Sauter, R-Sandpoint, addresses a controversy that arose in the West Bonner School District last year. The recalled board sought to hold a special meeting to consider the contract before the recall election was approved.
“The intent of this bill is to prevent people who see their fate and write on the wall from throwing grenades into restaurants and leaving school zones,” said Sen. Geoff Schroeder, R-Mountain Home. The person who introduced the bill in the Senate.
The proposal met strong opposition, led by Senator Scott Herndon. competing bill There was a break in the House earlier this session. HB 645 would also apply to board members who survive a recall election, noted Herndon, R-Sagle. Additionally, those board members could not make financial decisions before the election was approved, which would take about a week.
“Even if the voters supported a sitting elected official, it seems unfair that we would strip them of some of their duties for the next seven days,” he said.
The House previously approved the bill by a vote of 47 to 22.