SCHOOLS: Who's really responsible?
Beginning with statehood, Article IX, Section 1 of Idaho’s constitution reads (in full): LEGISLATURE TO ESTABLISH SYSTEM OF FREE SCHOOLS. The stability of a republican form of government depending mainly upon the intelligence of the people, it shall be the duty of the legislature of Idaho, to establish and maintain a general, uniform and thorough system of public, free common schools.
This clearly places the responsibility for the state’s public schools on the shoulders of the legislature. Legislators may have delegated the job to 115 local school districts (and more recently, another 35 charter schools that are within but separate from the established school districts), but ultimately the buck stops in the east and west wings of Idaho’s Capitol buildings. (ref. Idahocfp.org)
When the recession hit, our school funding was reduced dramatically. Now that the recession is over, one might ask why isn’t the state putting that money back? For the most part, the money was displaced primarily to Health & Human Services (Medicaid) and tax cuts.
More school bonds? I think not. The state of Idaho is spending $195 million annually on illegal immigrants (Medicaid?). Why is it that the state can afford to do this at the expense of taxpayers when they can’t afford to direct those funds to our legal students education? Why hasn’t our legislature passed a bill for e-verify, to ensure no illegal aliens are being hired?
The list goes on…welfare fraud, government employees efficiency and productivity levels, and jail overcrowding. Our legislators need to audit all government entities for excessive use. That is what we are paying their wages for. Jail bonds are not necessary. Taxpayers pay an exorbitant amount per person annually for inmates. Non-violent inmates should have an alternative to jail beyond the current community service program.
Actions that drive school districts into making increases in the use of property taxes raise serious doubts that our legislature is fulfilling its constitutional obligations. Our legislature needs an open and honest discussion of the direction of Idaho’s public school funding, including many other areas, and whether it is living up to the duties and responsibilities (uniform and thorough).
JoANN LOKKEN
Coeur d’Alene