Legislative budget analyst Paul Headlee started things off by reviewing the budget. “The public schools request was a 5.4 percent increase, and the governor’s recommendation is a 5.3 percent decrease, so that really indicates how fast the financial situation has changed,” Headlee told the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee. He also noted that to his knowledge, it’s the first time Idaho’s ever considered setting a lower budget for schools than the schools received this year. He also reviewed what other states are doing; New York, for example, is looking at cuts of from 3 to 13 percent. Some states are looking at eliminating summer school, textbook purchases, shortening the school year, and using reserve funds.
Betsy Z. Russell covers Idaho news from The Spokesman-Review's bureau in Boise.
Named best state-based political blog in Idaho for 2013 by The Fix
999 W. Riverside, Spokane, WA 99201
P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210
Main switchboard: (509) 459-5000 • (800) 338-8801
Newsroom: (509) 459-5400 • (800) 789-0029
Customer service: (800) 338-8801
© Copyright 2014, The Spokesman-Review
Terms of use • Privacy policy • Copyright policy
Spokane7
74°
Get blog updates by email
Please keep it civil. Don't post comments that are obscene, defamatory, threatening, off-topic, an infringement of copyright or an invasion of privacy. Read our forum standards and community guidelines.
You must be logged in to post comments. Please log in here or click the comment box below for options.
comments powered by Disqus« Back to Eye On Boise