As former head of public schools, I’m voting for the education Idaho students deserve

If there is one thing I learned in over 40 years of service in Idaho public education, including 16 years as state superintendent of public instruction, it’s that all across our state there are dedicated, passionate educators who work hard to give our children the quality education they deserve.

But sadly, I have also seen them struggle for years to do their work without the necessary resources. Idaho’s per-pupil spending ranks dead last out of 50 states and falls drastically short of the national average.

As a lifelong Republican, I can recall a time when leaders of both parties made funding of K-12 education a priority. But in recent years our leaders have failed to meet the challenge.

The underfunding of our schools has led to ballooning class sizes and severe cuts to programs ranging from the arts and music to career-technical training. Idaho also lags far behind in teacher pay, leading to a teacher-shortage crisis across the state. Every year, talented teachers leave Idaho (or teaching altogether) in search of more livable wages and better funded programs.

Fortunately, a new initiative will appear on the ballot in this November’s election that would address these problems. The Quality Education Act would raise over $300 million per year to invest in Idaho public education. By restoring the corporate tax rate to its historic rate of 8% and through a modest increase in the individual income tax rate on earnings beyond $250,000 (or $500,000 for married couples) the initiative would provide an infusion of funds into areas where it is desperately needed, such as career-technical education programs, up-to-date textbooks and other classroom materials, and competitive pay for teachers and support staff.

The point bears repeating: Under this initiative, no one making under $250,000 a year would pay a cent in new taxes. And only C-corporations, many of which are based outside of Idaho, would be affected by the corporate tax increase.

For much of my time working in Idaho education, our economy was barely able to meet the needs of our school system. But today, with Idaho’s booming economy generating large budget surpluses, there is simply no reason for Idaho’s education spending to fall so far short of our needs. How long can we expect our economy to keep booming without investing in the education and training of future generations?

The recent funding increases proposed by Gov. Brad Little and passed the Idaho legislature are a step in the right direction, but the truth is, they will not be nearly enough to make up for decades of chronic underfunding of our schools. What we need is not just sporadic boosts in spending, but consistently adequate support that schools can rely on to provide students the quality education they need and deserve. By creating a permanent fund dedicated to K-12 education, that is exactly what this ballot initiative will provide.

I consider our public schools to be something like a rocket ship stuck on the launching pad. The rocket is well-engineered, well-designed, and well-constructed, but it only has about half of the fuel it needs to launch into the desired orbit. The fuel that our schools need is money.

Idaho already has every other part necessary for education in our state to thrive: dedicated teachers, loving parents and bright, curious students who only need the state to finally step up and provide them with the tools and resources they need to succeed.

Every child in Idaho deserves a free, quality education. No parent should have to worry that their child may be at a disadvantage because they went to school in Idaho. I have spent enough time working in Idaho education to know what parents want for their children: a safe school, staffed with caring, competent teachers, where students can acquire the knowledge and skills to propel them to reach their potential. They want them to be successful in whatever future endeavor they choose and to become responsible and productive citizens of our state and nation. As a citizen, I want the same thing.

Passing this ballot initiative would be a truly meaningful investment in our children’s education and in the future of our state as a whole. I hope you’ll join me in November in voting “yes” for the Quality Education Act.