State Senate, House education committees scrutinize Idaho’s application for federal grant

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Idaho lawmakers scrutinize ‘Race to the Top’ grant

BOISE, Idaho — About half of the state’s financially strapped school districts have signed onto Idaho’s bid for $75 million or more in competitive federal grants, Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna told lawmakers Wednesday.

While Luna touted Idaho’s application for the “Race to the Top” program, state lawmakers on the Senate and House education committees questioned why they weren’t more involved in developing the grant proposal that is due Tuesday.

“I see a flaw in this process. At no point were legislators involved,” said Senate Education Committee Chairman John Goedde, a Coeur d’Alene Republican.

Lawmakers also asked why some of the largest school districts in the state didn’t sign on, and they questioned the sustainability of programs developed with temporary grant money from the federal Department of Education.

Rep. Liz Chavez said she could not support Idaho’s bid for a slice of the $5 billion in grants because she fears the money sets schools up for a “terrible disappointment.”

“If that funding is not available, then this really starts to fall apart,” said Chavez, D-Lewiston. “I don’t think we should set up false expectations.”

The grant will be the only way to boost funding for public education in Idaho for the next few years, Luna said.

Public schools are bracing for a proposed $27 million in midyear cuts after the governor on Monday recommended cutting state spending in the current fiscal year by another $40 million to offset revenue declines.

With a shrinking safety net — a reserve fund for public education has all but been spent — and hefty teacher contract obligations, schools would be asked to cover the cuts on their own.

The state Department of Education said early Wednesday that 65 school districts and public charter schools have agreed to participate in Idaho’s application. School districts had until noon to sign the eight-page agreement.

The Pocatello School District in eastern Idaho declined out of concern the money would require administrators to stray from their strategic plan and develop additional programs with short-term money.

The Boise School District didn’t sign on for similar reasons, said Rep. Branden Durst, D-Boise.

The state’s plan includes a proposal to pay teachers based on performance in several areas, including student test scores. That was one of the biggest sources of concern for districts debating whether to sign onto the grant proposal.

The pay-for-performance plan, a type of education reform that is backed by President Barack Obama’s administration but has yet to garner widespread support in Idaho, would be introduced as a pilot program. Local school districts would be given flexibility in rewarding teachers and allowed to use measures other than statewide tests, Luna said.

There is nothing in the grant that the state Department of Education will not pursue if it doesn’t get the money, he said.

“It will just take us longer,” Luna said.