Broadband committee will head back to school — in October

Kevin Richert | 08/24/2015

The legislative committee studying Idaho’s school broadband mess will get back to work in early October.

Legislative broadband committee — Broadband committee members, from left: Rep. Lance Clow, R-Twin Falls; co-chair Rep. Luke Malek, R-Coeur d’Alene; and co-chair Sen. Dean Mortimer, R-Idaho Falls.

The committee has scheduled two days of meetings at the Statehouse: an Oct. 5 session, at a time to be determined; and an Oct. 6 meeting starting at 9 a.m.

There are no further details. Agendas will be posted at a later date.

The committee’s first meeting, in late July, was something of a Broadband 101: a review of high-speed Internet use in the state’s high schools, and a recap of the Idaho Education Network project fiasco.

The failed contract for the statewide broadband system serves as a backdrop for the 10-member committee’s work. The committee’s job is to study broadband options not just for public schools, but also for state agencies.

Kevin Richert

Senior reporter and blogger Kevin Richert specializes in education politics and education policy. He has more than 35 years of experience in Idaho journalism. He is a frequent guest on "Idaho Reports" on Idaho Public Television and "Idaho Matters" on Boise State Public Radio. He can be reached at [email protected]