Legislative Priorities / Superintendent of Public Instruction / Idaho State Department of Education (SDE)

Superintendent Ybarra’s Fiscal Year 2022 budget request for public schools totals $2.02 billion in General Fund appropriations, including $49.2 million, or a 2.5 percent increase, in new funding over last year’s appropriation. The request prioritizes people – students, teachers and staff.

Restoration of 5% holdback reductions in FY 2021 appropriations

Superintendent Ybarra will work with the Governor and the Legislature to ensure the reductions, which represent critical investments in education, are fully restored as soon as state general fund revenue allows. While her FY 2022 budget request leaves reductions in place for some line items – mainly professional development, technology and IT staffing – which can be supported through $43 million in one-time federal CARES funding to K-12 schools available through Sept. 30, 2022 – this funding must be restored in future years to ensure districts and charter schools have ongoing resources to sustain their operations.

Educator Compensation

The budget request includes $21.7 million to restore funding for the career ladder for instructional and pupil support staff and implements the Advanced Professional rung to improve pay for Idaho’s veteran educators. Dedicated teachers are essential to ensuring that our students have the educational opportunities they deserve. Idaho continues to struggle with a teacher shortage, and the fear and confusion caused by the pandemic have likely aggravated that shortage. It is essential to continue to make good on the promise to improve teachers’ salaries and reward and retain the experienced teachers who are invaluable to our students.

Classified Staff and Administrator Salaries

Superintendent Ybarra’s budget request includes $4.5 million for a 2 percent increase in classified staff’s pay and a 1 percent increase for administrators. Teachers are essential, but so are the classified staff who keep our schools running and support students. They are a critical part of our educational system.

Literacy

Next year’s budget request includes ongoing funding to continue the state’s focus and support for K-3 literacy. The interruptions to in-person instruction and a decline in kindergarten enrollment increase the importance of literacy intervention programs and support for struggling readers. Districts and charter schools will likely need additional funds and resources for literacy intervention programs in grades K-3 in coming years.

Social-emotional Support for Students, Educators and Staff

The Coronavirus pandemic has created high levels of stress and anxiety for students as well as their teachers and support staff. Superintendent Ybarra will continue to advocate for behavioral and mental health support for all those who attend and work in Idaho’s public schools. This includes spending authority to administer the numerous grants the State Department of Education has received for mental and behavioral health and suicide awareness and prevention efforts.

Mastery-based Education

Superintendent Ybarra’s budget request seeks to restore the holdback of $50,000 to continue expanding mastery-based education. The program continues to add new schools and districts across the state who want to offer a student-centered, competency-based instructional approach. In Fiscal Year 2021, 31 new schools joined the Idaho Mastery Education Network.

Note: Statute requires an additional $62.8 million in General Fund spending for next fiscal year. Superintendent Ybarra retained the holdbacks to professional development, IT staffing and technology, as well as other reductions, to help offset these increases and bring new spending to the $49.2 million reflected in her budget request.