Some school districts are struggling to cover routine maintenance costs.
House Bill 521, enacted this year by Idaho Gov. Brad Little and the Idaho Legislature, directed an additional $1.5 billion in state funding to schools over the next decade.
Idaho Ed News.org reports the biggest slice is a $1 billion state bond, which will soon be divided between school districts for capital projects.
But HB 521 eliminated August elections for school districts and the bill also altered the way school districts receive lottery funding — in a way that’s leaving districts cash-strapped in the short term.
The facilities bill rerouted about $50 million in annual lottery dividends to a restrictive property tax relief fund that must be used to pay off local bonds and levies.
Many districts used the lottery money for routine upkeep, from asphalt repairs to new light bulbs, as well as maintenance staff salaries.
Those funds can now only be used for debt repayment, and that’s left a potential $30 million gap in funding for day-to-day upkeep.
