Students and Educators in Idaho Show Us What It’s Like When a State Fails to Fund School Repairs

No other state spends less on school infrastructure per student than Idaho. As a result, many students, especially those in rural districts, deal with leaking ceilings, freezing classrooms and discolored drinking water. Some students have to miss school when the power or heat goes out.

School districts often can’t build or repair buildings because Idaho is one of only two states that require two-thirds of voters to approve a bond. Some districts have held bond elections several times only to see them fail despite having support from a majority of voters. But the Legislature has been reluctant to make significant investments in facilities. Administrators say they don’t know how they’ll keep their schools running and worry that public officials don’t understand how bad the problems are.

  • fireweed@lemmy.world
    21·
    7 months ago

    I love Idaho. They’ve sacrificed themselves to become the perfect response when you’ve stumbled into a debate with a libertarian.

    (My favorite articles about Idaho are the ones where they interview a bunch of Idaho residents who moved there specifically for the lack of development restrictions and are now freaking out that their well is about to run dry or whatever because there were no restrictions in place to prevent overdevelopment and they’ve just found out there’s zero legal recourse available to them and oh yeah that twenty acre property up the hill just sold and is becoming 60 new five-bedroom houses.)

  • BigMacHole@lemm.ee
    15·
    7 months ago

    Spending money on kids is SOCIALISM!

    -Republicans trying to Save The Children by banning books

  • jjjalljs@ttrpg.network
    9·
    7 months ago

    Not surprised a state with very red government is shit at providing basic government services. Republicans suck.

  • TheDoozer@lemmy.world
    7·
    7 months ago

    Every time I meet an adult who is from Idaho, without fail they’ve been homeschooled. I may be mixing cause and effect here, but I think people don’t want to pay into the public schools because they don’t participate in the schools or would rather some religious fundamentalist with no training in education and whose program is held to no particular standard provide education to the children of their state.

    • postmateDumbass@lemmy.world
      4·
      7 months ago

      There are seperatists and fundamentalists all over that state. No supruse they do not want their kids in government schools.

      Maybe some tribal casinos can flip the script and make some ‘Indian Schools’ that are world class. Or win a free education on the slot machines.