Funding changes in Idaho schools – “Keep kids in the classroom”

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) - Eastern Idaho is heading back to school, but things in the classroom could be different this year. This year funding has shifted from enrollment to attendance based.

"Attendance is super important not just from a funding standpoint," said Bonneville School District 93 superintendent Scott Woolstenhulme. "One thing we talked with our teachers about is it's really hard for us to help kids be successful, help them learn to read, help them learn all the skills and knowledge that we hope they'll learn if they're not in our classrooms."

Under the new attendance-based formula, school districts are set to lose nearly $162 million in funding compared the last school year, according to Idaho Education News.

D93 will be running a supplemental levy this fall to address some of the shortfalls they, and other school districts, are experiencing.

"This year we're great. But, we have a lot of work to do so we're prepared for the coming years," said Woolstenhulme. "That's an area that parents can directly have an impact."

As attendance in the classroom takes a bigger focus, Woolstenhulme says student health has become even more important.

"We really hope our parents will pay close attention to the students attendance," said Woolstenhulme. "If kids are sick, then absolutely, they should keep them home. But if they can work those parent family vacations around times when we're not in school...it's the very best way to help us help them be successful."

Eastern Idaho public health encourages all parents to take the steps to keep their kids healthy.

"When you're going back to school, you might be put into a room with a bunch of kids that you don't know. A Teacher, you don't know," Eastern Idaho Public Health immunization specialist Mikki Sayer told Local News 8. "Immunizations, are really important to protect people, especially those people that can't get them. People who might be immunosuppressed."

As your older kids head back to school, peer pressure can lead to issues keeping your student out of class as well. Especially, related to vaping and tobacco usage. 

"I was in three different districts, middle school through high school," said Eastern Idaho Public Health tobacco and vape cessation and program coordinator Heather Hansen. "I asked the kids, 'how often are you seeing this?' And every single one of them told me 'every day in the bathroom'."

Hansen told reporters how parents can spot the signs their child might be vaping.

"If they become more irritable than what's normal for them," said Hansen. "Maybe more anxious, if they have a hard time concentrating. If they've started using; a cheap cologne, perfume or even incense, this could be to hide the scent. They're going to be fruity, sweet, or even minty. So those are kind of different smells that you might notice if your child is using the product, on their clothes, in their backpack."

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