EDITORIAL: Cd'A schools have backs to budget wall

Coeur d’Alene School District is facing a crisis. 

If you haven’t heard the word “crisis” attached to the district’s looming $6 million shortfall, perhaps it’s because cool heads are determined to press no panic buttons.

But if the definition of crisis doesn’t fit — “a time of intense difficulty, trouble, or danger” — the floor is open for a better one.

When the calendar flips to July, the new fiscal year begins and whatever budget district officials have cobbled together by then is the one they’ll have to live with. Options being juggled like hand grenades that may or may not possess intact pins include:

• Closing one of the district’s 11 elementary schools

• Going to a four-day school week

• Eliminating 19 teaching positions

• Eliminating 17 other jobs

• Maintaining current health care costs or cut another 7 jobs

• Cut budgets in all buildings by 5%

• Increase class sizes

A death knell? Certainly not. The start of measured bloodlettings that over time could weaken the public education body until survival is no longer given? Definitely possible.

Tens of thousands of words and a blizzard of numerals would be required to tell the complete story behind this crisis. A couple of newspaper editorials can’t and, therefore, won’t try.

But understand that the biggest single cause of the crisis is a disastrous combination of two realities: Enrollment in District 271 and elsewhere is declining since the pandemic, and the state of Idaho has recently reverted to an antiquated daily attendance-based funding formula that will wipe more than $4 million off its allotment to Coeur d'Alene schools.

Considering that 65% of school funding comes from the state — 10% is federally funded and the last 25% comes from Coeur d'Alene district taxpayers through a voter-approved levy — the Idaho Legislature has the greatest capability to ensure sufficient school funding. With that capability comes responsibility spelled out in the Idaho Constitution.

Yet that’s not what’s happening. Despite steps the past few years by Gov. Brad Little and conscientious legislators to retain good teachers and bolster quality public education, districts statewide find themselves running uphill — and the hill is only getting steeper.

Building maintenance has fallen years and many millions of dollars behind. Districts like Coeur d’Alene are seeing declining overall enrollment but an increase in special education students. In Coeur d'Alene’s case, the special ed enrollment surge is adding $1 million to the budget deficit.

If you’re taking a deep breath right now, wondering how this great and prosperous state could possibly leave school districts like Coeur d’Alene bleeding on the emergency room floor, you’re not alone. The question is, how many of the ultimate decision-makers think as you do?

We'll look at solutions Sunday.