Public school funding will see 6.3 percent increase for 2017-2018 year

Idaho public school funding will see a 6.3 percent increase for the next school year.

“This is one of the greatest steps that the Legislature has done, and it continues to look at seriously retaining our teachers here in Idaho,” said Angela Gillman, the Idaho Falls president of the board of directors for the Idaho Education Association.

Next school year’s 6.3 percent budget increase translates to an increase of $100.6 million coming into our public schools. The aim is to retain good teachers, and one area of attractive focus is health insurance costs.

“Expenditures related to health insurance, but that is a big need. So in essence, it creates a degree of flexibility by backfilling some of what we would have to spend to health insurance costs. It’s encouraging that the Legislature is following through with what the task force recommendations [are],” said Idaho Falls School District Superintendent George Boland.

State Sen. Dean Mortimer and Rep. Wendy Horman talked with Idaho Falls teachers in the Idaho Education Association. The teachers expressed how their salaries have seen less payout because of the rising costs of health insurance.

“This hugely rising increase of health care was one of the top things that we visited about. And then to see her and Sen. Mortimer bring that to the legislation and say, “This is a huge, huge issue here. We need to do something about this,'” said Gillman.

Now, more funding will go into public education for the 2017-2018 school year — more money for districts to give them more flexibility with teachers’ salaries.

Here’s a quick look at other budget item increases:

A $5 million increase to classroom technologies A $5 million increase toward IT staffing $4.2 million increase to professional development training for teachers. A $2 million increase toward college and career advising.