Sounding Out Idaho Even Pollster Is Surprised By Unpopularity Of Anne Fox 43 Percent Of Idahoans Rate Her Performance As Poor

Copyright 1996, The Idaho Spokesman-Review

A poll of Idaho voters shows that many of them are unhappy with state Superintendent of Public Instruction Anne Fox - so many, in fact, that a political analyst believes Fox could never be re-elected.

Only 17 percent of those surveyed rated Fox’s performance as excellent or good. Twenty-one percent said it is only fair; 43 percent rated it poor.

Fox said she’s been working so hard that she simply hasn’t been doing a good job of letting people know about her accomplishments.

That will change over the next few months, she said Thursday.

As for the next election, Fox said, “I’m definitely going to run again.

If she wins a second term, said analyst Del Ali, the victory will be “unprecedented” given Fox’s low performance ratings.

Ali works for Mason-Dixon Political Media Research, which conducted the statewide poll for The Idaho Spokesman-Review and two television stations.

Ali was surprised to learn that Fox is a conservative, given her unpopularity and his belief that “Idaho is the second-most-conservative state in the world, after Utah.”

“These are horrible numbers,” Ali said Thursday. “These are unsalvageable.”

Fox said that over the past six months, she and her staff have done “a lot of grunt work,” revising curriculum guides and writing rules that will give more flexibility to school districts.

People may not know some of her other behind-the-scenes accomplishments, she said, such as reducing the number of state Department of Education employees.

The public’s poor opinion of Fox reflects badly on the entire educational community, said Vern Newby, chairman of the Coeur d’Alene School District’s board of trustees.

He said he isn’t surprised by the low numbers.

Neither Fox nor Newby was surprised by another key finding of the poll: that a majority of Idaho voters (55 percent) oppose lowering the two-thirds majority vote requirement for school construction bonds.

Fox agrees with that view.

But Newby, whose district is struggling to keep up with a growing population, sees the supermajority requirement as a big obstacle.

So does Richard Harris, superintendent of Post Falls schools. His district has tried repeatedly to build a new high school. Its most recent bond election failed despite getting nearly 63 percent “yes” votes.

“In most states, that would be a winner,” Harris said.

The poll also shows that 51 percent of voters favor using general fund revenues to help finance school construction. All of that funding currently comes from local property taxes.

Newby has urged lawmakers to change the funding structure for the past four years. He said he is more optimistic than before that a change might occur.

Earlier this week, Gov. Phil Batt spoke in favor of spending more state money on school construction.

“Our economy seems to be improving a little, and I’m hopeful we can put more money into education, not only in the maintenance and operation but perhaps also address the need for upgrading facilities,” he said.

However, he said, any changes would depend on whether the One Percent Initiative passes.

That initiative, which will be on the ballot in November, would shift the burden of school construction away from property taxes.

“I think we need to wait and see the fate of that before we adopt any change in our financing plans,” Batt said.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: 2 Graphics: 1. A report card on Idaho education 2. Funding the schools