State board seeks input on funding

The Idaho State Board of Education and the Idaho Legislature’s Public School Funding Formula Interim Committee are partnering to collect public input from Idahoans on how the state’s public schools are funded. Starting Tuesday, an online public opinion survey became available for any Idaho citizen to provide comments and opinions regarding how public school districts and public charter schools in the state are funded.

The survey has been developed in support of the work of the Idaho Legislature’s Public School Funding Formula Interim Committee, which is charged with undertaking a complete study of the public school funding formula and making recommendations for improvement. The Interim Committee will evaluate the existing formula to assess how it meets the needs of different learning modalities, serves Idaho students, and provides fiscal stability to public school districts and public charter schools.

In a joint statement, Interim Committee Co-Chairs Representative Wendy Horman and Senator Chuck Winder said, “An important part of our work is to learn what Idahoans think about the way we currently fund our public schools and see where they believe we can make improvements. It is critical for us to hear from Idaho citizens throughout the state if we are to make effective and lasting improvements in how we fund Idaho schools.”

The survey can be accessed online from the State Board’s homepage www.boardofed.idaho.gov, and all responses are anonymous. The survey will be open for at least two weeks, and the results will be publicly reported back to the Interim Committee.

The State Board of Education is charged with the general supervision and governance of the public educational institutions and the public school system of the State of Idaho.

Information: boardofed.idaho.gov