Idaho Briefs November 25, 2011

Athol American Legion to hold stew cookoff on Saturday

ATHOL - If you've got some red-hot stew you think is better than the rest, bring it to the Athol American Legion on Saturday.

A cookoff for cash prizes begins at 5 p.m., with public tasting at 6.

The $5 cost to taste the stew includes salad, corn bread and dessert. It is sponsored by Auxiliary Unit 149.

The Athol American Legion is between the railroad tracks on Highway 54.

To register, call 683-2614.

Schools wait for changes to No Child Left Behind

TWIN FALLS (AP) - Local schools are taking awaiting the results of a state request to get flexibility from federal No Child Left Behind requirements.

Earlier this month, Idaho announced plans to apply for a federal waiver in February that would allow Idaho to skirt provisions under the federal education law.

The Times-News reports that the Twin Falls School District says it remains unclear how a waiver would affect individual districts.

Idaho was among a handful of states that vowed earlier this year to ignore the latest requirements for testing under the nation's key education law. The state argues they set unrealistic benchmarks for public schools while failing to accurately measure student growth.

The state would then establish a new way to hold schools accountable.