Otter rips state education board, lawmaker over contract

Idaho Gov. Butch Otter sent stern letters to the State Board of Education and state Rep. Wendy Horman, R-Idaho Falls, scolding them for interfering with a state contract for computer software.

The Idaho Legislature allocated $1 million in 2017 for a teacher evaluation program. Otter had requested $2.5 million.

The state’s purchasing department put out a request for proposals and selected a provider from among eight companies that responded.

But, according to Otter’s letter, the State Board of Education’s preferred vendor was not awarded the contract. Otter says State Board Executive Director Matt Freeman, after a conversation with Horman, asked the purchasing division to cancel the proposal request.

Otter says the discussions “would circumvent the state’s procurement laws.”

Idaho State Board of Education spokesman Mike Keckler says the agency has done nothing wrong.