Prevention Programs Face Snuffing Proposed Bill Has School Districts, Juvenile Corrections Department Fighting Over Same Source Of Funding

They both want to help troubled kids - in many cases, the same kids.

But county juvenile probation and diversion programs are pitted against school substance-abuse prevention programs this year, both fighting over the same pot of money.

“We work very, very closely with our law enforcement, our probation department, and I personally have been very proud of that,” said Norm Mahoney, drug education coordinator for the Coeur d’Alene School District. “Now there are tensions between us, and it’s really unfortunate.”

The lament is being heard on both sides, up and down the state. But it’s the schools that sound most offended. If a bill proposed by the Juvenile Corrections Department becomes law, they’ll lose more than a third of their funding for substance abuse prevention, forcing drastic cuts in programs that just started up a year and a half ago.

Juvenile probation wouldn’t lose a penny. Instead, it would take permanent ownership of a share of cigarette taxes that were imposed in 1995 specifically to fund school prevention programs.

Some lawmakers say another small tax or user fee increase should be sought for juvenile justice.

“Juvenile justice is only after it because it’s money and they need the money,” said Rep. Mark Stubbs, R-Twin Falls. “I think juvenile justice should seek money elsewhere.”

Michael Johnson, director of the Department of Juvenile Corrections, said that’s “only part true.”

“The Department of Juvenile Corrections is not asking for more. We’re asking to continue to share,” Johnson said. “The same population that we have is running through the schools. To divide a line that says ‘You’re going to do this and you’re going to do that,’ is wrong.”

Johnson said he favors “a cooperative sharing” of the money to address the population all through the system.

Nonetheless, Juvenile Corrections doesn’t stand to lose any money, while the schools do. Here’s why:

When the schools first won a dime-a-pack increase in the cigarette tax in 1995, the law called for the money to accumulate for a year before money started being sent out to school districts for new prevention programs. The tax raised more than expected: $7 million.

By the next year, with the Juvenile Corrections Department just being formed and hurting for money, that pot looked mighty attractive. Schools agreed to share the next two years worth of money half-and-half with juvenile programs, to help them get started.

During those two years, the schools dipped into the pot left from the first year’s accumulation of money to up their total take to the original $7 million each year.

But now that first year’s money is nearly gone. If the bill passes and the two agencies continue to split the dime in cigarette taxes evenly, each will get only about $4 million a year.

Adding to the difficulty of cutting the school programs, school districts have hired 72 people statewide with their money, assuming that they were guaranteed the full $7 million each year into the future. If the cut happens, some of those jobs would have to be eliminated and the programs cut back, said Trish Getty, coordinator of the programs for the state Department of Education.

Mahoney, whose salary is funded by the cigarette tax money, said, “It’s a shame to start cutting back on things that were just starting to build. I find that very disappointing.”

School districts previously received federal funds for substance-abuse prevention programs. But that money has been dwindling fast.

North Idaho school districts received $770,776 from the special cigarette tax this year. Coeur d’Alene got $222,670, while Post Falls collected $110,490. Bonner County schools received $171,128.

Among the programs funded by the money: Idaho Drug-Free Youth, an anti-drug club for kids that offers discounts, trips and activities for kids who volunteer to take drug tests; uniformed police officers at high schools; various programs to identify kids with substance abuse problems and help them get help; and various programs designed to send preventive messages to all school students.

The Coeur d’Alene School District has hired a part-time person to recruit volunteers, and has contracted with a counselor, a prevention specialist, a family resource specialist and a behavior specialist to help prevent kids from abusing drugs or alcohol.

On the juvenile justice side, the cigarette tax money has gone to juvenile probation and diversion services in each of Idaho’s counties. Through June 30, 1996 - that’s 1-1/4 years of the program - North Idaho counties have received $785,214. Of that, $455,984 went to Kootenai County.

Counties have used the money mainly to hire probation officers. They’ve also started parenting classes for teen parents and for the parents of troubled teens; family and individual counseling programs; and intensive supervision programs that allow young offenders to stay in their communities and schools rather than being sent off to a juvenile jail.

Said Getty, “It’s really too bad that two vitally important programs are pitted against each other.”

Art Dodson, director of Ada County’s juvenile court services, agreed. “I’m sorry it got set up this way,” he said. “It’s unfortunate because we’re both doing good work - we’re both trying to turn kids around from using drugs or alcohol.”

Stubbs plans to propose legislation in the House Revenue and Taxation Committee to bump cigarette taxes up further and allow both programs to be fully funded.

He’ll also offer other options: an increase in the state beer tax, which hasn’t been raised since the 1960s, and a bill to end the state income tax exemption for lottery winnings.

Idaho’s beer tax, which is charged per gallon rather than on dollars in sales, is only 15 cents a gallon - under 17 cents for a six-pack. The wine tax, by contrast, is 45 cents a gallon.

Attempts to raise the beer tax in recent years have been rebuffed by Idaho’s beer lobby.

Stubbs said he may propose raising the taxes on both beer and wine.

Failing to assess state income tax on lottery winnings means the money just goes to the federal government, Stubbs said - because state taxes are deductible from federal taxes.

“Whoever was dumb enough to impose the tax exemption from the state didn’t think it through,” he said.

Johnson said the idea of both schools and juvenile corrections sharing the money is an important principle that he’d like to see preserved, because it leads to both working together.

“Even if we could find alternate sources of money, we should share it,” he said. “It works that way.”

, DataTimes MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: TOBACCO MONEY North Idaho school districts received $770,776 from the special cigarette tax this year. Coeur d’Alene got $222,670, Post Falls $110,490 and Bonner County schools $171,128.