Luna praises CFHS five-star status

CLARK FORK — Tom Luna had some high praise for Clark Fork High School teachers and students Friday.

The Idaho State Superintendent of Education dropped by the small school to celebrate its five-star status, an achievement that places it in an elite subsection of statewide education. It’s an honor that doesn’t come without a lot of hard work, and only about 70 K-12 schools in the state have managed to earn it, he said. A school assembly ended with a round of applause for the teachers who helped make it happen.  

“I’m here to congratulate you for being one of the few five-star schools in the state,” he said.

 After the assembly, Luna answered questions about his work and the state of Idaho schools for a class full of Clark Fork students. He told them it’s shaping up to be a busy year in education as he works with state legislators to introduce sweeping new education programs. The proposed bills will place increased focus on readying students for college or professional training, freeing up $200 for every high school junior and $400 for every high school senior for college credit classes. Furthermore, if high school students finish their graduation requirements early, they are free to focus entirely on college material, earning up to 32 credits without worrying about tuition.

“We want to make sure that wherever you go after high school, you’re ready for it when you get there,” he told students.

The package of education bills also promotes a significant increase in education funding and expansion of options in rural schools. With bipartisan support already secured for the legislation, Luna is hopeful that the bills will be better received than the ill-fated Students Come First reforms.  

Later, Luna addressed the controversial proposals to arm school staff that been posited in Lake Pend Oreille School District and elsewhere in the state. Idaho school districts are already empowered to arm staff members as trustees see fit, he said. However, in his own examinations of the issue, he found that armed individuals in the school present their own set of complications. For instance, it could foster confusion among law enforcement on who is or isn’t a threat.

“What’s most important is to ensure that students are safe in school,” Luna said. “You can’t learn and excel unless you feel free from fear, bullying and violence.”

Luna also spoke about his own background and work in education, telling the students about his travels to schools all around the country and his work with presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama. Based on what he’s seen of inner-city schools and other states, he said he’s always happy to be back home after a long trip.

“That’s one thing I learned after traveling around the country — how lucky I am to raise my kids and educate them in Idaho,” he said.