The House has begun its debate on SB 1418, the public schools budget for next year - the single largest slice of Idaho's state budget pie. It includes historic cuts.Rep. Maxine Bell, R-Jerome, co-chair of the Legislature's joint budget committee, told the House, "I've never been in such quicksand as I've been this year." Federal stimulus money bailed out the school budget in 2010, she said. "I can tell you ... that's not a good way to budget, because that one-time money comes out." Now, she said, "There is no backfill left," and big cuts are proposed for schools - the equivalent of an 8.4 percent cut in state general funds, and 7.5 percent less overall for a total of $128.5 million in cuts to schools for next year.

The budget proposes cuts in teacher and administrator salaries, and shifts money from various line items - from transportation to field trips to gifted and talented education - to discretionary funds for school districts. That way, districts can decide where to make cuts at the local level. "We will do better when we can," Bell said. "It is not our intent to hurt anybody. ... I hope I don't ever have to do this again."