Education eyes tough budget frontier

POST FALLS — Even if the economy is rebounding, don’t automatically think education budgets will be brought back up right away, the state’s superintendent of public instruction said on Tuesday.

“As we climb out of this, don’t think that we’re anticipating the first extra dollar will be put back in budgets,” Tom Luna told about 25 people attending a community meeting at Post Falls High.

For the second straight year, the state will use one-time federal stimulus funds to help weather the storm. It’s money that won’t be around after the next fiscal year.

“We’re going to have to fill holes before talking about increasing budgets,” he said.

The state’s funding for education will be reduced by about $128 million, forcing local districts to make more across-the-board cuts. Many are discussing methods such as furlough days, not replacing retirees and salary reductions.

During a Press editorial board meeting earlier in the day, Luna said he’s encouraging districts to think twice before spending every dollar the Legislature has committed to sending them for the coming fiscal year.

“What happens if revenues go down in the middle of next year? We’ve spent all of the rainy day funds and all of the reserve accounts,” Luna said. “If that means there has to be a mid-year holdback, if you’re a district that has little or no reserves left, then what do you do?”

Luna suggests those districts consider expanding their budget cuts enough to build some reserves to use if there is a holdback.

With that advice, Luna encourages school officials and teachers to keep in mind that for the last two fiscal years, the Legislature has found ways to avoid mid-year cuts to school budgets.

During the community meeting, Post Falls school board member Dave Paul said his district will make about $2.1 million in cuts.

“How much more can we take and at what point do we have to rethink about what we’re doing?” he said. “We’re affected now.”

Luna said it was a reasonable goal to make cuts last year and not impact student achievement, but that’s not the case this year.

“If you cut $128 million, it’s going to have an impact,” he said. “You can’t sustain the current system.”

However, Luna said that he believes the worst economic hit is behind us, but the recovery will be slow.

On the bright side, he said Kootenai County districts are setting the pace for the rest of the state when it comes to more schools achieving high academic goals.

Two years ago, about a third of the local schools were making the grade and more than 80 percent did so in 2009. Statewide, 26 percent were achieving the mark and 66 percent did so in 2009.

Luna touted the Idaho Education Network, an effort to connect all schools and state colleges with virtual classes, thereby increasing opportunities, particularly to rural districts. Fifty-six schools are hooked up and the goal is to have all 200 in three years.

St. Maries High Principal John Cordell, whose school is among those connected, said the concept is great, but the communication on how to use it can be improved.

“The installers came in the cover of darkness, locked the door and were on their way,” he said. “No one communicated with North Idaho College on how their equipment would communicate with ours.”

Luna said the state is evaluating whether to re-apply by June 1 for a grant through the federal Race to the Top Fund, which provides funds to states for education innovation and reform. Delaware and Tennessee were the only states awarded grants in the first round.

“If they ask us to do things that are not good for Idaho, we won’t go there,” Luna said.

HNN staff writer Maureen Dolan contributed to this report.