BOISE - A push by Senate Education Committee Chairman John Goedde to send money from a state WiFi program directly to some local school districts - instead of a contractor - was sidetracked by state budget writers Monday after Senate Democrats objected.

Sen. Roy Lacey, D-Pocatello, questioned the legality of altering the controversial five-year wireless contract with Education Networks of America, and Sen. Dan Schmidt, D-Moscow, lent support to Lacey's concern.

"I still have some questions on the legality of that," Lacey said. "I really think we have to keep that statewide or we have to not fund it."

"I feel like we're making a decision here without full information," Schmidt said.

"Well, we haven't made a decision yet on that section," said Rep. Maxine Bell, R-Jerome, the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee co-chair.

The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee had agreed to fund $2.4 million for the WiFi network by ENA, but the maker of the motion, Rep. Jeff Thompson, R-Idaho Falls, then agreed to hold off until Thursday on the intent language that Goedde was involved in authoring. That followed the JFAC's approval of $2.4 million for the ENA wireless contract.

During a Thursday interview, Goedde, R-Coeur d'Alene, said Coeur d'Alene School District 271 "has put their own money into a wireless system," and could benefit from a change in the ENA contract.

"They're not using the wireless by ENA," Goedde said. "So, as long as they maintain the standard for the wireless that was in the (request for proposal), then we'll send them the money to manage their system. And, there are a number of districts, I believe, that are in a position to do that. I don't know how many will take advantage of it, but I've heard from several that think that's the best thing that can happen with that money."

K-12 education legislative budget analyst Paul Headlee indicated that Goedde "has some ideas."

"He wants to try and work directly with the contractor to see if school districts that are in the contract right now, if they've opted in, can get out, if the contractor will allow that," Headlee said. "Right now, I don't really know the answer to that."

Headlee pointed out that, under the legislative intent language in question, school districts that haven't yet opted into the ENA network, may receive $21 per student.

According to the legislative intent language, that $21 per student payment could occur if the school district or public school demonstrates "that it has a wireless technology infrastructure that meets or exceeds the requirements stated in request for proposal upon which the statewide contract is based."