Top 25 for academic efficiency. Dead last in spending per pupil. 

This was just one point about Idaho’s education system that local and state educators tackled during a Tuesday morning breakfast at The Coeur d’Alene Resort. Tuesday was also, coincidentally, the first day of school.

“Eighty-five to ninety percent of Americans were educated by public schools,” Post Falls Superintendent Anna Wilson said. “So, for me, it’s a moral imperative that we educate our students.”

Main speakers joining Wilson at Tuesday’s event, hosted by the Coeur d'Alene Regional Chamber, included Idaho Department of Education Superintendent of Public Instruction Debbie Critchfield, Coeur d'Alene Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Shon Hocker and Lakeland Interim Superintendent Jake Massey.

Coeur d’Alene and Post Falls districts currently have November ballot initiatives asking voters to approve slight increases to their supplemental levies. Voters in the Lakeland District, meanwhile, shot down a levy increase proposal this past May.

Amid calls for increased taxes, educators during Tuesday’s event broke down how Idaho funds its education system and, if North Idaho voters pass these levies, where the additional funds would go.

“We need something that is sustainable,” Critchfield said of the state’s educational funding formula. “What we have right now is not sustainable.”

Idaho’s funding formula, which does not distinguish between charter, online and traditional schools, hasn’t changed since 1994. Critchfield said many of the rules that bleed into that formula were “put on the books in 1960.”

“The way we’re funding does not align to the needs of the modern classroom,” Critchfield said.

Idaho is one of seven states in the union to be funded by what’s called average daily attendance. That average daily attendance is converted into “support units.” The Idaho Legislature calculates school funding for the upcoming school year based on these units. 

This means that whenever a student is absent, a district loses funding.

Post Falls’ attendance rate last year was 92.6%, resulting in a $4 million loss under the state’s current funding formula. Meanwhile, all school districts within Kootenai County experienced about an 8% loss in funding due to the formula.

“Every time a student is absent, that is about $50 per day,” Wilson said of Post Falls. 

The educators all pointed out that this formula creates budget shortfalls, which prompt voter-approved levies.

The Coeur d’Alene School District is right now calling for a $30.25 million, two-year levy. That’s a $5 million increase from its expiring levy. If the ballot measure passes, property owners will pay about $95 per $100,000 of valuation (with current state property tax relief per estimates).

The Post Falls District is right now calling for a $13.6 million, two-year levy. That’s a $1.6 million increase from its expiring levy. If the ballot measure passes, property owners will pay about $38.87 per $100,000 of valuation (with state property tax relief).

“One thing that our levies support is, I believe all three of our districts, is teachers,” Massey said. “As a public school district, about 85% or maybe even more of our expenses are people. We're in the people business, we don't have a product, our projects are human beings.” 

Hocker echoed that sentiment, saying that Coeur d’Alene will focus part of its levy spending on early learning and kindergarten.

“We choose to fund kindergarten all day long,” Hocker said. “We think that's also very important for our families that work all day long in our communities. They need a great place for their kiddos to go as well.”

Local educators were also asked Tuesday what should happen if their respective levies don’t pass.

Hocker said districts would potentially get proposed increases back on a May ballot. He added that passing a levy earlier in the year might cause “staff members to panic and freak out” since the hiring process begins in late March or early April.

As per the state’s current school funding formula, educators Tuesday said a proposed resolution to change the current levy term, which has one-year, two-year or forever options, had failed to receive discussion within the House.

In response, they encourage everyone to contact their representatives to see if the state’s school funding formula can be changed.

“It really is an investment in our community,” Massey said of why school funding is critical. 

    Coeur d’Alene Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Shon Hocker speaks at The Coeur d’Alene Resort on Tuesday morning. Jimmy McAndrew is on the left, Anna Wilson and Jake Massey are on the right.
  

    Idaho Department of Education Superintendent of Public Instruction Debbie Critchfield speaks in Coeur d'Alene on Tuesday.