School funding, as the largest single piece of the state budget, is a big focus for the state Legislature. Gov. Butch Otter is proposing a budget for public schools for next year that imposes no further cuts, but keeps in place the full $128.5 million in cuts imposed on schools this year. Overall, schools would get a 1.8 percent increase in general funds next year, and a 0.2 percent increase in total funds. "While my budget recommendation does call for a little more state support for public schools, it also includes significant, targeted investments in our children's future - investments like a third year of math and science in high school, and paying for all Idaho juniors to take college entrance exams," Otter said. "Those investments are part of important changes that Supt. Luna and I are proposing in the way our public schools do their jobs."

He said he'll push for "a fundamental shift in emphasis from the adults who oversee the process and administration to the best interests of our students."

---

---