OPINION: For Idaho's sake, fund our schools

Dear Honorable Members of the Idaho Legislature — Districts 2, 3 and 4,

I am writing to you today with a heavy heart yet unwavering hope for the future of our great state. Idaho's public education system stands at a critical juncture, facing challenges that demand immediate attention and action. As stewards of our state's future, I implore you to prioritize and adequately fund Idaho's public education system.

Despite our state's remarkable potential and outstanding educators' dedication, Idaho consistently ranks among the lowest in the nation in per-pupil spending and overall investment in public education. We must do better. Our children deserve better than to be shortchanged by a system that fails to provide the resources and support they need to succeed. Investing in education is a moral and economic imperative, as it lays the foundation for a skilled workforce and a thriving economy.  

You have the opportunity and obligation to significantly improve Idaho’s public education funding. Nearly every school district has received a cut in state funding because of the return to an archaic funding model reliant on students' daily attendance. No school district will ever achieve 100% daily attendance when, appropriately, parents have the right and even the obligation to keep their child home when they are ill, take them out of school for a day to attend a big sister’s basketball game, or simply to go on a vacation for a few days to visit a grandparent.  

Here’s another example: When a family is purchasing a new car, they don't buy a smaller car just because one of their children may not ride in it every day. No, they buy a vehicle large enough to transport all their children, so no one is left behind. It's the same for our schools; we must be prepared to support all students every day, even when some of them are not in class because they are sick, or attending the funeral of a loved one. Funding schools based on daily attendance is like purchasing a car without enough seats. 

Why should the public school budget rely so heavily on 100% student attendance to receive the funding already allocated to our public schools? Our public schools must be funded adequately. 

In addition, I implore you to stop considering siphoning public tax dollars away from public education to fund private and religious schools under the guise of tax relief without  requiring accountability for how those public tax dollars are used. 

The Idaho Constitution clearly states, “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.” Creating a voucher system to help people send their children to a private school or homeschool is not the Idaho taxpayer’s responsibility. Providing state funding to a private or religious school without any accountability to guarantee those funds target student education is a misuse of tax dollars. 

Appropriately, there are no other processes or opportunities to siphon state tax dollars and apply them to personal choices. You can't get a voucher to repave your driveway while taking money from the state transportation department. You can't get a voucher to re-sod your front yard at the expense of the local parks and recreation department. You shouldn't be able to get a voucher to educate your child at the expense of public education.

The best way to reduce the tax burden on Idaho citizens is to fund public education appropriately. This would eliminate local public school districts' reliance on supplemental levies. Currently, supplemental levies are a fundamental source of funding for public schools due to the need for appropriate state funding. More than 80% of Idaho’s school districts have relied on levy dollars to cover fundamental needs for over a decade. We must do better. 

Our supplemental levies, now fundamental levies, fund many necessities within our schools. Special education services, nursing services, school resource officers, transportation, and curriculum resources are only the tip of the iceberg regarding important educational needs that receive little to no attention within your education budget. 

The state’s funding model limits special education funding to 6% of all students. This limit falls far short of what is necessary to meet the need for special education in Idaho.  Approximately 12% of Idaho’s public school students have special service needs. The state provides resources for less than half of the actual need. There is zero funding provided for school nurses or school resource officers. Districts are required to supplement 20-30% of our transportation costs. And the list goes on. These are not desires — these are the essential services that each community and school district expects. We must fund education for our children adequately.

Public education is the most important investment we make in the future of our country and our state. State Superintendent Critchfield’s education budget proposal is a step in the right direction. 

I urge you to join me in advocating for increased funding for Idaho’s public schools. Seek input from the experts in the education profession as you address your only constitutional budget requirement: establishing a thorough system of public, free common schools. 

Our children deserve nothing less.

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Dr. Shon Hocker is superintendent of the Coeur d’Alene Public School District No. 271.