GILBERT CALLS QUALITY EDUCATION ACT “THE BEST INVESTMENT YOU CAN MAKE”

State Schools Superintendent candidate Terry Gilbert today asked Idahoans to invest in Idaho’s children by signing Reclaim Idaho’s petition to get the Quality Education Act on the November ballot.

“Just go to https://www.reclaimidaho.org/ to find out how to sign,” Gilbert said. “If you are able, help them gather signatures or send them a small donation as well. It’s the best investment you can make in our kids.” he said.

The Quality Education Act would pump more than $300 million into our classrooms by returning the corporate tax rate to 8%, where it was for years, and adding a 4.5% levy on earnings above $500,000 for a couple or $250,000 for an individual. “There’s nothing wrong with asking those who can afford it to invest a bit more in our schools,” he said. “We’re talking about people at the top 1% of the income ladder.”

Gilbert said that for more than 20 years, the Idaho Legislature has underfunded public schools, to the point that Idaho now ranks dead-last among the 50 states in per pupil expenditure. Put another way, education now gets 25% less of Idaho’s personal income revenues than it did in 2000.

“Every district in the state has suffered,” Gilbert said, “but rural and property-poor districts have suffered disproportionately because they can’t pass supplemental levies like richer districts can. The Quality Education Act would make many of those levies unnecessary, ultimately lowering property taxes.”

“Our public schools are the heart and soul of our communities, the driver of our economy, and our last and best bulwark against tyranny,” he said. “They are the glue that holds us together as citizens in a democracy.”

The new money could be spent only on the most basic things: teachers’ salaries, smaller classrooms, vocational and fine arts classes. “We’re not putting money into layers of bureaucracy,” Gilbert said.

Reclaim Idaho has until the 29th of April to get 65,000 valid signatures, including 2,000 from each of 18 legislative districts. So far, more than 83,000 Idahoans have signed on, but 90,000 are needed to be sure of having 65,000 valid signatures. Three more legislative districts also need more signatures.

“This is truly the best investment you can make,” Gilbert concluded.

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