Supt. Tom Luna said his funding proposal for schools "will not completely offset cuts to public education. Instead," he said, it will make them "manageable." The $52.8 million, he said, is equivalent to 1,000 teaching jobs or 10 days of school. Without it, he said, "Our schools will not just suffer next year, they will suffer in the long term." He reminded other Land Board members of their own difficult budget situations in their agencies. "We as trustees have the opportunity to throw public schools a lifeline," Luna said.

Luna told his fellow board members, "This is not about me, this is not about you, and it's definitely not about politics - it's about Idaho's kids and their future."

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