Idaho school trustees plan to vote on using tax dollars to fund school-readiness programs for 4 year-olds.
It’s one of several issues under consideration during this year’s Idaho School Boards Association convention at the Boise Centre. The annual three-day conference kicked off Wednesday and features training and networking opportunities for school board members. It ends with an open caucus of trustees from across Idaho to mull a series of resolutions aimed at shaping the ISBA’s top priorities ahead of the 2019 legislative session.
The Boise School District wants the Legislature to change a law that prevents districts and charter schools from using state funds to support pre-kindergarten preparation programs. While the current resolution does not specify what age group the programs would serve, some trustees say it would reduce the state’s approved school-starting age from 5 years old to 4 years old. US Census Bureau data show that 69 percent of the state’s 3- and 4-year-olds are not enrolled in an early childhood education program, adding to nearly half of ldaho’s children entering kindergarten with below grade level reading skills.
Another resolution seeks funding for all-day kindergarten. Idaho now provides funding for half-day kindergarten, and trustees say the change would increase financial stability for the 84 traditional and charter schools in Idaho already offering full-day kindergarten to students.
Other resolutions cover, among other things, strategic plans and reporting requirements; salary-based apportionment for classified schools staffers; reducing the state’s two-thirds super-majority vote requirement for passing school bond issues; and using sales tax revenue from new construction to supplement the costs of school bond issues. (IdahoEdNews.org)
