Idaho continues legacies of underfunding its schools

Are you happy now? 

Idaho schools consistently rank last in the nation for public school funding per child. The Republican-controlled Legislature has been starving our schools for years, so much so that the Idaho Supreme Court told them they were not abiding by their constitutional duty to support public education.

Now our Superintendent of Schools says we can handle it with no problem supporting public education with no federal assistance and to beat that Governor Brad Little just signed a voucher bill to take more funds away from our schools even though 86% of constituents who called in asked him not to sign it. There have already been a number of rural schools closed because of a lack of funds. Why do you think school districts have to run supplemental levies? It's because the state underfunds.

The Republicans are controlled by the Heritage Foundation's Project 2025. Have you heard of it? Where do you think the IFF gets all its great ideas? They advocate to eliminate public schooling altogether. There is barely an independent thought among any of those legislators.

Start thinking about who you are voting for. Think about the consequences to you, your family and if you have others you care about. You know what they used to say about how good it feels when you stop hitting yourself on the head with a hammer? Try it.

SYLVIA HUMES

Sandpoint