This week’s preview (and review)

Kevin Richert | 02/17/2013

Looking ahead at the Legislature:

Monday is Presidents Day, but it’s still a work day at the Statehouse. It’s the start of Week Seven of the 2013 legislative session.

A few items on the horizon:

Heading for the House floor is House Bill 65, which would restore more than $30 million to the school districts’ budgets for 2012-13, and would avert a midyear budget cut. This funding fix reallocates money that is in limbo with the defeat of the Students Come First laws. (The House Education Committee approved this bill Thursday; click here for Clark Corbin’s story.)
House Education meets Monday at 9 a.m. Among three bills on the agenda: a State Board of Education bill to make over Idaho’s scholarship offerings. This bill has already passed the Senate.
The Senate Education Committee meets Monday at 3 p.m. with a full agenda. Among the bills on the docket: State superintendent Tom Luna’s proposal to restore $4.85 million for hiring math and science teachers. The committee will also vote on three appointments to the state’s Public Charter School Commission.
When Senate Education meets at 3 p.m. Tuesday, it will consider a bill to repeal the teacher early retirement program. (Click here for my earlier story on this proposal.)
Up for Senate consideration, perhaps as early as Monday, is a bill that would again require school districts to post their budgets and master agreements online. This bill sailed out of Senate Education last week without opposition.

Looking ahead elsewhere in state government:

The Idaho Land Board meets Tuesday at 9 a.m., and will discuss the Department of Lands’ annual report.
The State Board of Education meets Wednesday and Thursday at Boise State University. The board agenda will be posted Monday.

Looking back at the Statehouse:

A quick item from Friday: The state Senate approved a bill turning an early graduation program, the Mastery Advancement Program, from a pilot project to a permanent offering. The bill passed 35-0 and goes to the House. (To learn more about the program, click here for a previous blog post.)

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]