Shoshone County officials worry over federal funds for schools, public works

WALLACE — The up-in-the-air status of a federal funding bill has local authorities holding their breath.

Shoshone County Public Works Director Jessica Stutzke met with the Shoshone County commissioners to discuss the potential impacts if the Secure Rural Schools Reauthorization Act of 2025 is not passed.  

Secure Rural Schools, or SRS, is a program that was created in 2000 to temporarily supplement rural counties due to the decline of federal timber sales. As federal lands became more protected, counties with significant areas of national forest saw tremendous losses in logging revenue, which prompted the creation of the program.  

SRS funds are received by more than 700 counties nationally and include 33 counties in Idaho. These funds go toward education, infrastructure and public safety.  

According to a recent publication from the National Association of Counties, SRS is at risk of being defunded entirely. The NAC reported that in 2024, the Secure Rural Schools Reauthorization Act of 2023 was passed unanimously in the Senate but died in the House of Representatives in November.  

While the fund has declined over the years, counties like Shoshone have become dependent upon it. During this time, the county has split the funds roughly 60/40 with the three local school districts, who then divvy up the 40% according to the size of each district. 

In 2024, Shoshone County received $2.8 million in SRS funds with $1.5 million going to public works — accounting for 40% of Stutzke’s annual budget.  

Public Works, which handles road maintenance and upkeep throughout the county, is not funded through local taxes but through different state and federal revenue streams, including SRS.  

Should the program not be reauthorized, public works would have to scale back the work it completes annually throughout the county, which could ultimately include equipment and manpower. But, it still has some breathing room before it has to make any potentially painful decisions. 

“For that not to be funded is a grave concern for us,” Stutzke said. “Right now, we’re in a point of uncertainty. Our cash reserves are good at the moment, but everybody knows you can’t live off your cash reserves.”  

Two different bipartisan bills reauthorizing SRS (H.R. 1383 and S. 356) were introduced in February but were not part of the most recent budget hearings in March.  

Despite the wait-and-see circumstances, Stutzke and the commissioners aren’t hitting the panic button, largely due to the overwhelming amount of support both bills are receiving from both sides of the political aisle.  

“Right now, we are cautiously optimistic that the SRS renewal will pass, as it seems to have strong support,” Stutzke said. “It is a vital funding source for roads, schools and public safety, just to name a few. Shoshone County is the second highest recipient of SRS funding in the state. While we wait to see if it passes, our department has scaled back spending as a precautionary measure, but we will continue to operate and complete regular maintenance and projects as usual.”