Press Release - Latah Legislators Seek Education Funding

[Gary Schroeder <Gary@hideandfur.com>]

PRESS RELEASE

TUESDAY, JUNE 4, 2002

CONTACT:
Representative Tom Trail, 882-6077
Representative Gary Young, 883-4896 
Senator Gary Schroeder, 882-9092
_________________________________

LATAH LEGISLATORS SEEK EDUCATION FUNDING

June 4, 2002 - Latah County legislators called today for additional revenues
for both
higher education and Idaho's public schools.  


House Education Committee member Gary Young (R-Moscow) noted 
that "Any holdback would put local school districts and their boards in 
position of further raising taxes on local property owners.  Property tax 
will be passed on to all citizens.  Contracts and committments are already 
in place for 2003.  Additional budget reductions for higher education will
set
our institutions into a downward spiral that would take years to recover
from"


"Further holdbacks in either K-12 or higher education at this time would 
be catastrophic," noted Gary J. Schroeder (R-Moscow), Chairman of the 
Senate Education Committee.  "Additionally, the declaration of a 'financial
exigency' by the State Board of Education, as has been suggested by at 
least one board member, is ill advised," continue Schroeder.  "The resultant
potential elimination of programs and the termination of tenured faculty
will hurt faculty recruitment for a generation or more."


Representative Tom Trail (R-Moscow), a senior member of the House Education
Committee reported that all six districts in Latah County are reducing
staff positions, reducing purchases of supplies, and some are putting off 
buying new textbooks. District reserves are in some cases down to less 
than $75,000 when $300,000 is recommended as the minimum by budget
experts.  Another round of holdbacks will give Idaho a national reputation
as the state where schools are depleting reserves, eliminating positions
and programs, cutting supplies and teaching from outdated textbooks.

Trail noted that the FY 03 budget for Higher Education has been already 
cut by 10 percent.  Now universities have been ordered to develop their 
FY03 budgets with another 5 and 10 percent cut to be considered if the 
economic situation so dictates.   Faculty and staff morale is at a low ebb.


All three District Legislators have asked Governor Kempthorne to call a
Special Session of the Legislature in the near future to address the issue 
of funding education, and to reaffirm the State's support and commitment 
to Idaho's education system and our school children.
_________________________________________________