Idaho Education NotecardMarch 2, 2018
This week’s education headlines:
Private scholarship bill. A bill to create a private school scholarship program drew a big crowd to the Statehouse Wednesday — and cleared the House Education Committee on a razor-thin 8-6 vote. Chairwoman Julie VanOrden cast the pivotal vote to send the bill to the House floor, despite some misgivings. Supporters say the scholarship program would provide options for parents of at-risk and special-needs students; several leading education groups say the bill is a backdoor approach to a voucher system. More HERE.
Superintendent’s race takes shape. Democrats finally have a candidate to run for state superintendent — two, to be exact. Boise retiree Allen Humble filed his paperwork this week. More HERE. Cindy Wilson of Meridian jumped into the race Monday; the Capital High School government teacher served on Gov. Butch Otter’s K-12 task force and now sits on the state Board of Correction. More HERE.
Big tax cut bill heads to governor. After a two-hour debate, the Senate voted 26-9 to send a comprehensive income tax bill to Otter’s desk. The bottom line: Idaho taxpayers can expect a $104.5 million tax cut. While supporters said the tax cut was overdue, after five years of significant state budget growth, opponents said the tax cut could jeopardize education funding. More HERE.
‘Repeat’ bond issues. State Rep. Heather Scott wants to curb what she calls “aggressive” tactics from school districts. Scott, R-Blanchard, has drafted a bill that would require school districts to wait 11 months before running another bond issue, if voters reject a proposal. The bill narrowly passed the House Thursday, over objections from lawmakers who considered the bill an affront to local control. More HERE.
Idaho AP scores. More Idaho students are graduating high school with Advanced Placement credits in hand — which can translate into college credits down the road. But Idaho’s AP performance still lags well behind the national average. Idaho students can now receive a taxpayer-funded allowance they can use to cover the cost of taking a rigorous AP exam. More 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.
