State Policy
A new law requires transparent levy elections — but the results are mixed
Some districts write sketchy ballot language, which means voters can’t tell where their money is going. These districts are taking a big risk. The law would allow a judge to nullify an election over flimsy ballot language.
Districts lean on short-term levies to pay for long-term investments — people
School districts use the bulk of voter-approved supplemental levies to cover their single biggest expense: salaries and benefits. That allows schools to hire more teachers and reduce class sizes, or keep experienced educators in the classroom — as long as voters say yes to the levy.
All politics is local, and levy elections can be contentious or routine
It took five months, and two loud elections, for Coeur d’Alene to convince their patrons to keep a supplemental levy on the books. But in many other communities, voters quietly and reliably support levies.
Lawmakers rewrote the school election calendar. What happens next?
Starting next year, school districts have only three dates when they can run a levy. But the schools also will have more state money — designed to offset bonds and levies. It’s a classic tradeoff, and a hard one to handicap.
No-confidence vote targets Little, House GOP members over library bill
The vote took place at a GOP Central Committee summer meeting in Challis over the weekend. The flap dates back to the waning hours of the 2023 legislative session.
Labrador lawsuit challenges closed-door, U of I-Phoenix purchase discussions
“The people of Idaho deserve to know about a transaction of this magnitude before it happens, not to have it presented to them as a fait accompli,” the attorney general’s office said in a lawsuit, filed Tuesday.
More than 70 rural schools receive arts grants
The grants, ranging from $1,945 to $15,000, will support fine arts, performing arts and design courses.
What’s in a name — or names — at the U of I?
The State Board of Education rebrands the nonprofit at the heart of the U of I-University of Phoenix megadeal, and approves naming rights for the Kibbie Dome.
Lawmakers grill Green on U of I-Phoenix purchase
Legislative budget-writers raised serious questions about the U of I’s closed-door negotiations with the University of Phoenix — and the potential financial risks from the $685 million megadeal.
Analysis: Empowering Parents problems catch Little off-guard, inexplicably
At a pivotal point, Gov. Brad Little’s pet education microgrant program has problems. And the problems have been more or less lurking in plain sight.