GILBERT DECRIES IDAHO BUDGET SURPLUS IDAHO SITS ON $1.3 BILLION SURPLUS; CITES LACK OF STATE LEADERSHIP

“The State of Idaho is cheating its children and their families by amassing a $1.3 billion surplus while underfunding education and pushing the cost onto homeowners through constant school bonds and levies,” stated Terry Gilbert, Democratic candidate for Superintendent of Public Instruction Idaho today.

“Idaho needs a school funding trigger law that will devote at least 50% of any state surplus to education, including paying off school bonds to lower property taxes,“ he announced. “We must stop this fraud on our children and the financial burden on homeowners and renters.”

To support his proposal, he pointed to the decades long scrimping on education funding.

“Why does Idaho have $1.3 billion in the bank while forcing patrons to pay for education by forcing school districts to constantly raise their property taxes, including through annual bonds and levies needed to close the funding gap created by the state?” he asked. “This is a failure of state leadership.”

Supplemental levies against taxpayers have increased from $140 million in 2011-12 school year to $218 million in 1920-21,” he stated.

“Why is Idaho facing an impending and unprecedented shortage of an estimated 900 teachers when we have $1.3 billion in the bank, a shortage that will hit rural schools especially hard?”

“Why does Idaho rank in at the bottom of all states in per student funding when we have a $1.3 billion surplus?”

“Why do classroom aid salaries rank dead last in the nation?”

“Why does Idaho have the 6th highest ratio of student to teachers according to the National Education Association rankings?” he stated.

“Why do we have inexperienced persons fill classroom positions with this kind of surplus?” he queried.

“Why do we have a difficult time convincing experienced staff to remain in Idaho instead of being lured by other states offering better compensation and a more supportive work environment?”

“Finally, why does the Idaho Legislature continue to ignore the Idaho Supreme Court who ruled in 2005 that Idaho’s funding of educational facilities was wholly inadequate to meet its constitutional requirement. A recent study revealed it would take $874 million to bring our public school facilities up to good condition, The state’s failure to meet this obligation guarantees that homeowners will be voting on school bonds and levies nearly every year – forever.” he said.

“According to our history of underfunding education without pressure of a trigger law, our state leaders will continue shortchanging our school children and their families,” he concluded.