At a Coeur d’Alene Chamber of Commerce breakfast on Tuesday, Idaho’s top education officials warned local business leaders that the state’s K‑12 funding formula is out of step with today’s schools. State Superintendent Debbie Critchfield, joined by the superintendents of Post Falls, Lakeland and Coeur d’Alene districts, outlined why the formula – largely based on rules from the 1960s and last overhauled in 1994 – needs a modern rewrite.
Funding formula fails to match modern needs
Critchfield told the nearly 200 attendees that the current system does not reflect essential components such as technology integration, career‑technical education and the growing presence of virtual and charter schools. She noted that those schools often receive funding for services they do not provide, like transportation, while traditional districts bear the cost of absent students under the average‑daily‑attendance model.
“There’s no flexibility in there,” Critchfield said, adding that the formula is confusing for parents and administrators alike. She called for a system that is “simple and understandable,” and urged the audience to contact their legislators to push for a formula rewrite in the new year.
Local superintendents echo the call
Coeur d’Alene Superintendent Shon Hocker proposed a four‑year supplemental levy to reduce voter fatigue. The measure passed the state Senate two years ago but never received a hearing in the House, and a second attempt was also ignored last year. Hocker and the Idaho School Boards Association plan to re‑introduce the levy in January.
Post Falls Superintendent Anna Wilson highlighted the financial strain of the attendance‑based model, saying her district could purchase a new vehicle every two days with the money it loses when students are absent. Lakeland Superintendent Jake Massey warned that districts can see reduced revenue even as fixed costs – utilities, busing and staffing – remain constant.
All three districts rely on supplemental levies; Coeur d’Alene and Post Falls will place levy questions on the November ballot. More than 95 of Idaho’s 115 districts already have supplemental levies to cover staffing and other essential expenses, especially in northern districts that compete with neighboring Washington for teachers.
Shared resources under pressure
The three districts also share the Kootenai Technical Education Campus (KTEC), funded by levy money from each district. Hocker described the program as “busting at the seams,” yet emphasized its importance in preparing students for the workforce. “They’re able to go right out into the work world,” he said of KTEC graduates.
Massey pointed to a growing challenge: newcomers to Idaho often lack understanding of the state’s school‑funding system and may not have ties to a local district. He framed the issue as a matter of community health and future workforce readiness.
Community responsibility highlighted
Wilson called education a “moral imperative,” noting her personal connection as a 1989 Post Falls High School graduate. “People at that time paid it forward to me, and now it’s my turn to pay it forward to them,” she said.
The superintendents concluded by urging attendees to contact their legislators, emphasizing that a fair, transparent funding formula is essential for the health of northern Idaho’s communities and for ensuring that families can rely on strong public schools.
With the 2027 legislative session approaching, the push for a funding overhaul is expected to gain momentum, especially as business leaders recognize the link between stable school financing and a skilled future workforce.
Original reporting: Idaho Education News — read the source article.
