Idaho Education Notecard August 25
This week’s education (and political) news:
Cecil Andrus, 1931-2017. Andrus, Idaho’s only four-term governor and interior secretary to President Carter, died Thursday at the age of 85. Andrus’ political career was defined largely by environmental issues — from the battle over Central Idaho mining that thrust him to the governor’s office to the nuclear waste shipments battle that drew national attention in the late 1980s and early 1990s. But Andrus’ career was also defined by education topics, such as the kindergarten law passed during his second term in office. More information HERE.
Labrador vs. Kustra. Days after Boise State University President Bob Kustra called out Rep. Raul Labrador’s statement on the fatal protests in Charlottesville, Va., Labrador minced no words. During an interview with KBOI radio’s Nate Shelman, Labrador said, “Maybe it’s time for (Kustra) to go.” The political context can hardly be overstated; as a gubernatorial candidate, Labrador is seeking a job that would give him considerable sway over higher education budgets and the State Board of Education that evaluates university presidents. More information HERE.
A $42.5 million school election day. Tuesday is an election day for a handful of Idaho school districts. Voters in five districts will decide the fate of $42.5 million in bond issues and supplemental levies, including a $26.9 million bond issue in Eastern Idaho’s Madison School District. More information HERE.
Senior stories. For Idaho’s high school seniors, the new school year begins the end of an era. We catch up with six seniors who talk about their school experience, their dreams for the future and their regrets. Said Boise High School senior Nikki Muggli, “I regret rushing through high school and not enjoying it.” More information HERE.
West Side stories. In 2016, 48 seniors received their diplomas from West Side High School, a rural school boasting a 100 percent graduation rate. Since graduation day, some graduates from the class of 2016 have gone to work, while other classmates have fanned out from the southeastern corner of Idaho to pursue church missions or a college education. “You can’t live on $9 an hour,” said MacKenzi Moser, a 2016 graduate seeking a bachelor’s degree in dental hygiene at Idaho State University. More information HERE.
Kevin Richert is a reporter and blogger with Idaho Education News (idahoednews.org.) Idaho Education News is an independent news site focused on education policy and politics, funded by the J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Family Foundation. Richert has worked in the Idaho news media since 1985, as a reporter, editor and columnist.
