Idahoans for Choice in Education

Expanding Educational Choice for Idaho Families

Schools get enough

Dean Ferguson (Commentary, July 21) suggests that north central Idaho's economy is handicapped because it doesn't spend enough on public education. The evidence shows otherwise.

Here are the current operating costs per pupil for these public schools (for 2003-04):

Cottonwood, $9,980. Culdesac, $9,872. Genesee, $8,863. Grangeville, $9,529. Highland, $11,043. Kamiah, $8,431. Kendrick, $8,705. Lapwai, $11,071. Lewiston, $7,784. Moscow, $8,240. Orofino, $8,304. Potlach, $11,748. Troy, $9,481. White Pine, $14,758.

The Idaho average is $6,803. The Utah average is $5,033.

These data show that the region's schools are on average funded about $3,000 per student more than the Idaho average and about $4,800 above Utah's. Even the latter are bloated relative to private, charter and schools abroad.

This suggests that poor management, not inadequate funding, is responsible for some districts' financial woes.

Could it be the high taxes needed to support this bloated school spending that handicap the local economy?

Jack Wenders

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Boise, ID 83701