Idaho must do its best to protect education funding

Idaho’s public schools are once again caught in the crosswinds of budget uncertainty.

After initially reassuring Idahoans that K‑12 education would be spared from additional cuts, legislative budget‑writers reversed course this week, asking Superintendent Debbie Critchfield to outline how 1% to 2% reductions would affect the state’s $2.7 billion public school budget. 

Those cuts translate to $27.5 million or $55.1 million taken directly out of Idaho classrooms.

These are not abstract numbers. They represent teachers who may not be hired, reading specialists who may not be retained and programs that may disappear just when students need them most. 

Critchfield said Thursday she will not be recommending further cuts.

“The public schools budget is more than numbers on a spreadsheet. It represents every one of our students, classrooms, teachers and communities,” she wrote to the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee’s co-chairs. 

While we applaud fiscal responsibility and accountability, we must agree.

Districts across Idaho already operate with lean budgets and persistent staffing shortages. Asking schools to absorb mid‑year cuts — while they are already contending with increasing enrollment, rising costs, and post‑pandemic academic challenges — is not fiscal conservatism. It is an investment pulled out from under the very children the system is supposed to support.

Idaho’s economy, while facing slower revenue growth, remains strong enough to prioritize education without resorting to holdbacks. Even Gov. Brad Little’s own budget team has stated clearly that the state can balance the budget without touching K‑12 classroom funding. 

His proposal uses a mix of one‑time adjustments and policy shifts to avoid putting schools on the chopping block. That roadmap exists — what’s needed is the resolve to follow it.

What makes the proposed cuts especially hard to justify is their timing. 

This same legislative session, Idaho unlocked $50 million in state funds for private school tuition via House Bill 93, despite widespread concerns about its impact on public schools. 

Claiming that public school budgets must now be trimmed, while new tax credits channel public dollars toward private education, sends a message that is difficult to reconcile with Idahoans’ long‑held commitment to strong public schools.

House Democratic Leader Ilana Rubel and Senate Democratic Leader Melissa Wintrow were equally critical of the proposal Friday.

"There is a clear and responsible alternative to cutting public schools, and it starts with repealing the $50 million private-school voucher program," Wintrow wrote.

Education is not just another line item in the state ledger. It is the foundation of Idaho’s long‑term economic strength. A well‑educated generation becomes a skilled workforce, a thriving community and a competitive state. Cutting classroom resources now only guarantees higher costs — financial and societal — for years to come.

Lawmakers still have time to make the right choice. Idaho’s students, teachers and families deserve stability. Protecting K‑12 funding is not just prudent budgeting; it is an investment in the future that Idaho cannot afford to shortchange.

Coincidentally, we will have Gov. Little in town Wednesday, when he'll be speaking before the Coeur d'Alene Regional Chamber. This is an opportunity to hear from our top elected official regarding Idaho's economy and education, and what the future may hold for both.

The governor’s budget chief, Lori Wolff, told EdNews Thursday that Little proposed a balanced budget that protects K-12 classroom funding.

We hope so. So do students, educators and parents.