Science standards hearing postponed to Wednesday

(UPDATED, 3:57 p.m. Friday, with Wednesday hearing scheduled.)

The House Education Committee is postponing the science standards hearing that was originally scheduled for Monday.

In an email sent Friday afternoon, Vice Chairman Ryan Kerby, R-New Plymouth, said the hearing will now be postponed until Wednesday.

In a separate email sent earlier Friday, Kerby said the change was made to accommodate other higher education officials who will be in town for “Education Week” at the Statehouse.

“The community college presidents will be presenting Monday, and following that will be (considering) omnibus rules on chapters that have not yet been covered,” Kerby wrote.

This marks the second time House Education has made late-breaking changes to its hearing schedule on academic standards. Earlier this week, House Education announced that it was postponing the English and math hearings after originally announcing a different schedule. Kerby had already told Idaho EdNews that he did not want to change the schedule again, but that is exactly what happened.

Throughout two days of hearings over academic standards, several Idahoans expressed frustration that the hearings have been rescheduled, postponed or announced on short notice.

They said it has been particularly difficult to make plans to cover their normal daily obligations in order to make the trip to the Statehouse to testify or follow the hearing.

Legislators have already said they will not accept remote testimony, meaning the only way to testify is to travel to the Statehouse and attend the meetings, which traditionally begin at 9 a.m. in Room EW 41 inside the Capitol basement.

Next week is already shaping up to be busy with “Education Week” budget hearings each morning. Typically, higher ed officials follow up their budget hearings with visits to each of the education committees as well.

The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee’s budget hearing schedule is more solid and reliable than the House Education schedule. Here’s the JFAC calendar:

  • Monday, 8 a.m., University of Idaho budget hearing. The State Board of Education will also speak, and the presidents of U of I, Boise State University, Idaho State University and Lewis-Clark State College will make a joint presentation on their higher education Leadership Council.
  • Tuesday, 8 a.m., ISU and Lewis-Clark budget hearings.
  • Wednesday, 8 a.m., College of Southern Idaho, College of Western Idaho and College of Eastern Idaho budget hearings.
  • Thursday, 8 a.m., K-12 public school budget hearing with Superintendent of Public Instruction Sherri Ybarra.
  • Friday, 8 a.m., Boise State budget hearing.
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Clark Corbin

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