Financial emergency declaration for all Idaho schools passes JFAC on 12-7 vote

JFAC has voted 12-7 in favor of Rep. Fred Wood’s proposal to declare a financial emergency for every school district in the state for the coming year, allowing any district that chooses to to reopen existing contracts with teachers to renegotiate pay, benefits or contract length. Rep. Wendy Jaquet, D-Ketchum, asked Sen. Dean Cameron, R-Rupert, if the education stakeholders group he convened discussed the plan. Cameron said they did - and there was no agreement, so it was tabled. “I really think it needs more light of day on it, and we need to have a public hearing,” Jaquet said, “so I would hope that we would refer this to the germane committee.” Said Sen. Nicole LeFavour, D-Boise, “It basically renders null and void contract salary provisions and the length of the contracts - in other words, teachers just won’t have contracts across our state any more. … We keep changing the rules of the game on them, and it’s not a game, it’s their life.”

Rep. Janice McGeachin, R-Idaho Falls, said the move would give school districts maximum flexibility as they cope with smaller budgets. Rep. Frank Henderson, R-Post Falls, said he saw it as “essential” to the budget that JFAC already set. Three Republicans - Sens. Dean Cameron, Jim Hammond and Joyce Broadsword - joined Democrats in opposing the move.