Hammond: ‘I don’t love this budget’

Sen. Jim Hammond, R-Post Falls, has proposed the second motion on the school budget, this one for the division of teachers. It includes a 4 percent base pay cut, plus cutting out raises for additional experience or education next year. “Again I don’t love this motion, I don’t love this budget,” Hammond said. “What’s more likely is that we will not damage schools, because those teachers in the classroom are there, and they want to be paid well, but they’re not there for the pay. They’re there because they love the kids and they love improving their opportunities by providing the best education they can.”

“I can’t believe what we are doing,” said Sen. Diane Bilyeu, D-Pocatello. “I think we are neglecting to tell the public what that really means. How many teachers are we losing? What will that do to class sizes? And what programs … will be reduced? … It really saddens me, what we’re doing. I think that there were other ways to bring in additional dollars for education.”