Have your say about Idaho’s school funding formula

Kevin Richert | 08/29/2016

On Tuesday, Idahoans will have their first chance to speak to the legislators who are trying to rewrite the state’s school funding formula.

Scott Bedke school funding committee — House Speaker Scott Bedke, foreground, is a member of the funding formula committee. The committee’s chairs are Sen. Chuck Winder, R-Boise, left, and Rep. Wendy Horman, R-Idaho Falls, center.

The Public School Funding Formula Committee has blocked out 75 minutes Tuesday afternoon to take public comment.

This will be the second meeting for the committee, assembled in June, to begin the long process of rewriting the laws that carve up more than $1.5 billion in K-12 budget dollars. The meeting will begin at 10:15 a.m. at the Statehouse’s Lincoln Auditorium, Room WW02, garden level.

The public comment period will run from 1:15 to 2:30 p.m.

The balance of Tuesday’s meeting focuses on several other fiscal topics: the cost of health insurance; federal funding in the state’s K-12 budget; and funding the 20 recommendations from Gov. Butch Otter’s education task force.

After Tuesday’s meeting, the interim committee will hit the road to continue its work, and hear from Idahoans. Meetings are tentatively scheduled for Sept. 27 in Pocatello and Oct. 17 in North Idaho.

The committee has been assigned to rewrite the state’s school funding formula, last updated in 1994. The 10 lawmakers are not expected to complete this job in time for the 2017 legislative session.

Check back Tuesday for coverage from the committee meeting.

Kevin Richert

Senior reporter and blogger Kevin Richert specializes in education politics and education policy. He has more than 30 years of experience in Idaho journalism. He is a frequent guest on "Idaho Reports" on Idaho Public Television and "Idaho Matters" on Boise State Public Radio. Follow Kevin on Twitter: @KevinRichert. He can be reached at [email protected]