Idaho Legislature: Ask Legislators to VOTE NO on H0075 - Public schools, facilities funding (posted 02/14/25)

• Bill: legislature.idaho.gov/s…

• Contact Legislators: emailidaho.com

(Check the linked page or use My Bill Tracker for the bill’s current status.)

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H0075 provides another massive funding source for schools, more bureaucracy, and, eventually, more drain from taxpayer pockets. The bill bypasses local voters – who normally would weigh in on school facilities improvements via school tax levies – instead transferring financial burden to ALL Idaho taxpayers.

H0075 also expands grant application paperwork and increases scope (and likely head count) of the State Board of Education. H0075 also transfers millions of dollars to a new fund, decreasing budget transparency, and allows more general fund money to go to rural schools.

Let’s focus on the content of our students’ educations rather than fanciness of their school facilities. School facilities must be safe and reasonably comfortable. But all too often, they become palatial with unsustainable cost overruns.

Please say NO to this complicated bill!

Specifics:

• Establishes new Public Education Facilities Fund for “need-based grants” to school districts for constructing, remodeling, and maintaining school facilities (excluding athletic facilities).

• Managed by State Board Of Education.

• Requires comprehensive documentation including project plans, ten-year facility plans, safety concerns, financial records, and details about school funding sources.

  - Schools may need specialists to write up complex grant requests or pay outside grant writers.

  - Ten-year facility plan costs are often wildly under-estimated, leading to disastrous cost overruns as in Oregon! oregonlive.com/educatio….

• State Board of Education would prioritize rural schools and determine grant awards, not local taxpayers.

• School districts that misuse funds or fail to follow the submitted plan must repay the grant with interest.

  - What about unexpected conditions (war, inflation, fires, floods, etc.) that could require a change in plans or cost more?

• Allows rural schools (with legislature and governor blessing) to obtain general funds to support additional grants.

  - What strings would be attached?

  - How many more dollars will be transferred from general fund to special school funds?

• Transfers unobligated funds from existing public school facilities cooperative fund to Public Education Facilities Fund. Modifies provisions about school facility safety and state supervision.