In her budget presentation this morning, state schools Superintendent Sherri Ybarra said her budget is in line with a strategic plan her department has developed to “provide us with a roadmap to success,” and “help guide the districts we serve with an educational philosophy and...
Summing up her budget presentation to lawmakers this morning, state schools Supt. Sherri Ybarra said there are seven major budget components: Restoring operational funding to 2009 levels; funding the teacher career ladder’s next steps; moving forward with the mastery-based education initiative; academic and college/career advising…
Overall, state schools Supt. Sherri Ybarra’s budget request for public schools comes to $1,577,904,100 in state general funds, a 7.5 percent increase. But that’s not including the budget for Idaho Educational Services for the Deaf and Blind; when that’s counted in, Ybarra’s budget is a…
Items state schools Superintendent Sherri Ybarra has highlighted so far in her budget presentation: Teacher career ladder. Ybarra said she’s requesting a net increase of $56.5 million for the continued implementation of the teacher career ladder that lawmakers authorized next year. Mastery-based education. This, like…
Sherri Ybarra, Idaho state schools superintendent, told lawmakers this morning: “My main three goals for Idaho public education are: 1-All Idaho students persevere in life and are ready for college and careers. 2-All education stakeholders in Idaho are mutually responsible for accountability and student progress....
Idaho state schools Superintendent Sherri Ybarra is giving her budget pitch to lawmakers this morning for the state’s public schools. “It is good to be back again and stand here before you today,” she told the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee. “I have a lot to say…
Rep. Heather Scott, R-Blanchard, presented her first three proposed bills today, all dealing with Fish & Game issues. The House Resources Committee agreed to introduce all three, but members had lots of questions and concerns about the proposals. One would repeal an existing law that...
Hundreds of students and families are gathered on the steps of the Statehouse to celebrate School Choice Week with an annual rally and signature yellow scarves. Speakers at the rally include West Ada 2015 teacher of the year Shawna Exline and Superintendent of Public Instruction…
The Senate has voted unanimously, 33-0, in favor of SB 1201, which transfers $29 million in savings from the Catastrophic Health Care fund back to the state’s general fund. Sen. Dan Schmidt, D-Moscow, told senators that the fund’s costs had been climbing significantly, year after…
When Idaho legalized slot machine-like “instant racing” machines in 2013 to benefit the state’s horse industry, it earmarked portions of the proceeds to go to four recipients, including the Idaho Horse Council. But Sen. Jim Rice, R-Caldwell, told the Senate State Affairs Committee this morning…
The Idaho Legislature's Joint Millennium Fund Committee narrowly recommended funding four new community recovery centers Tuesday, including one in Lewiston, reports Bill Spence of the Lewiston Tribune, but the proposal still faces significant hurdles. The centers are intended to provide a safe, supportive environment for…
Amid lots of questions, the House State Affairs Committee has agreed to introduce a bill proposed by Rep. Greg Chaney, R-Caldwell, to require community college trustees to be from five designated zones within the community college district, though they’d run at-large. Rep. Melissa Wintrow, D-Boise,…
Rep. Hy Kloc, D-Boise, got an enthusiastic reaction from the House State Affairs Committee for his resolution, co-sponsored by Sen. Chuck Winder, R-Boise, to celebrate the 130th anniversary of the unveiling of the Statue of Liberty. Kloc distributed a copy of a ship’s manifest from…
Dramatic developments overnight on the occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge by armed militants, as one of the occupiers was killed during a traffic stop and eight more, including the group's leader Ammon Bundy, were arrested. The AP has a full report here. The…
University of Idaho President Chuck Staben is making his budget presentation to the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee, as a week of education budget hearings continues; lawmakers heard yesterday from the presidents of BSU and ISU; today’s schedule also includes a budget presentation from Lewis-Clark State College…
Kelly Edginton, head of school for the Idaho Virtual Academy, has issued a statement on graduation rates, saying, “It is statistically impossible for the state’s overall graduation rate to have been significantly impacted by Idaho’s virtual schools, which serve only about one percent of the...
Dick Armstrong, director of the Idaho Department of Health & Welfare, told the Senate Health & Welfare Committee this afternoon that the governor’s proposed Primary Care Access Program is not an entitlement program. “I don’t see PCAP at all as an entitlement,” he said. “I…
Eastern Idaho freshman Rep. Ron Nate, R-Rexburg, proposed an amendment to the Idaho Constitution today to ease prohibitions on using state funds for religious schools. Idaho EdNews reporter Clark Corbin reported that Nate, who teaches at BYU-Idaho, said he believes is amendment is needed to…
House Majority Leader Mike Moyle, R-Star, told the House Revenue & Taxation Committee this morning, “The surrounding states, all but one have lower income tax rates than us. The one state that has a higher income tax rate is the state of Oregon, but they...
Idaho’s three community colleges – North Idaho College in Coeur d’Alene, the College of Southern Idaho in Twin Falls and the College of Western Idaho in Nampa – are up for their budget hearings this morning; you can watch live here. NIC President Joe Dunlap...
The House Revenue & Taxation Committee is scheduled to consider introducing tax-cut legislation from House Majority Leader Mike Moyle today, to cut Idaho’s top two personal income tax rates and its corporate tax rates by a tenth of a percentage point each and raise the...
To avoid a conflict between water recharge and lowering health care costs, the $30 million to fund the proposed Primary Care Access Program might not come from cigarette and tobacco taxes after all, reports Melissa Davlin of Idaho Public TV’s “Idaho Reports." At an Idaho…
Here’s a link to my full story at spokesman.com on how Idaho officials who’ve been troubled by news this year that the state’s high school graduation is much lower than had long been thought have identified where the problem’s occurring: At the state’s “virtual” charter…
The ACLU of Idaho has filed a notice of appeal in its lawsuit charging that Idaho’s public defense system is constitutionally deficient, after a judge last Friday dismissed the case. “Today we took swift action to defend Idahoans’ constitutional rights,” said Idaho ACLU Executive Director…
Sen. Bob Nonini, R-Coeur d’Alene, says the next STEM Caucus meeting on Feb. 4 will feature Ohio Sen. Chris Widener, R-Springfield, president pro-tem of the Ohio Senate and the sponsor of legislation there that created the Global Impact STEM Academy in Springfield, Ohio. The school,…
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