VOTING: Cd'A Press bias, school levy

Shame on the Cd'A Press for using its Oct. 7 editorial section to promote Jim Jones’s opinion criticizing Attorney General Raul Labrador. The decision struck me as openly partisan and supportive of a left-leaning political agenda. Your editorials have seemed more evenhanded lately, which made this feel especially like an “in-your-face” display of bias.

In a separate opinion, ‘Supplemental’ in name only, Becky Funk wants us to “look at the numbers and ask where the money goes, what’s working, what needs improvement”.

What’s NOT working... Idaho’s attendance-based funding formula has been criticized for not adequately reflecting enrollment, the costs of serving students with greater needs, or inflation. The result is that Idaho ranks last in per-student spending.

What IS working… Charter schools can outperform traditional schools through greater autonomy, strong accountability, and research-backed practices like tutoring, teacher feedback, and more instructional time. Public schools could adapt these methods to improve student outcomes.

What’s NOT working ... Voters should remember Article IX, Section 1 of the Idaho Constitution, which says it is the Legislature’s duty to establish and maintain “a general, uniform, and thorough system of public, free common schools.” Providing that system is a fundamental responsibility of the state—NOT a burden that should routinely be shifted to local taxpayers through supplemental levies.

Contact your legislators and urge them to fulfill their responsibility to adequately fund public education. If they fail to do their jobs, hold them accountable at the ballot box. And when asked to make up the shortfall locally, vote NO on supplemental levies. That clear message may be the encouragement our legislators need to take action.

JoANN LOKKEN

Coeur d’Alene