One in 5 Idaho school districts have declared financial emergency

One in five Idaho school districts have declared financial emergencies, legislative budget analyst Paul Headlee just informed lawmakers on the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee. He said 23 school districts, 20 percent of Idaho’s 115 districts, made the declaration as permitted by HB 252, legislation that passed this year. Many reduced school supplies, eliminated or reduced positions, reduced their textbook budgets, and left vacant positions unfilled; some have negotiated cuts or freezes in salaries.