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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Huckleberries Online

Lack Of Money Strains Luna ‘Reform’

Robbing Peter to pay Paul has a price. Strapped school districts are aiming to skirt Idaho’s new school laws, which shift $137 million from salaries and other expenses to technology. The money is diverted over six years, amounting to about 2 percent of state support to Idaho’s 115 school districts. The tension bubbled Monday and Tuesday during the second meeting of the 39-member Students Come First Technology Task Force appointed by Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna. The task force is to make implementation recommendations to the 2012 Legislature. The flashpoint is the mandate for online classes, with district leaders moving to protect their funds from online providers. Jared Jenks of the Sugar-Salem School District in Madison County told the task force subcommittee on online learning implementation that he’s eyeing ways to circumvent the law. “This isn’t official, but it’s a possibility”/Dan Popkey, Statesman. More here.

Question: Do you still think education "reform" proposed by Superintendent Tom Luna and pushed through by Gov. Butch Otter and GOP legislators is a swell idea?



D.F. Oliveria
D.F. (Dave) Oliveria joined The Spokesman-Review in 1984. He currently is a columnist and compiles the Huckleberries Online blog and writes about North Idaho in his Huckleberries column.

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