Boundary District working to change rules on Naples school vote

In a Boundary County School District Board of Trustees Meeting on Aug. 10, 2010, the School Board voted to pursue changing Idaho Law to remove Naples School’s right to vote to keep their school open. 

Idaho Law Statute 33-511 outlines the powers and duties of school district’s boards of trustees.  It states that a school that previously existed in a former district (such as Naples School) cannot be closed without an election by voters.

 Such an election was held in Boundary County on June 8, 2010 and the majority of the electors voted against closing Naples School.

This fall, Boundary County School Board worked with the ISBA (Idaho School Board Association) and developed 2011 Resolution No. 1.  This resolution would enlist the support of the ISBA “to craft legislation in order to repeal those portions of Section 33-511, Idaho Code that require a school district to hold an election” to close a school. 

Each year, the ISBA holds an annual convention during which board trustees across the state vote on proposals.  The ISBA convention was held in Boise November 10-12, 2010 and Resolution No. 1 was passed.  The ISBA is now working with legislators to present a bill to change 33-511 in the January 2011 Idaho State Legislature Session.

Last year at the 2009 ISBA convention, trustees voted in favor of 2010 Resolution No. 3 which supported amending Idaho Code 33-503 to coordinate expiration of trustee terms (in line with the change of trustee terms from 3 years to 4 years). 

These changes were then passed in the Idaho House and Senate in March of 2010 and signed by the Governor.  Also in 2009, Boundary County School District submitted Resolution No. 2 to the ISBA to amend Idaho Code Section 33-802 to increase the maximum length of a Supplemental Levy from 2 years to 5 years.  The resolution passed at the ISBA convention but was not included in the 2010 Idaho State Legislature Session.

Recently, a concerned Boundary County citizen wrote Senator Shawn Keough expressing fears about the School Board circumventing the county’s right to a vote.

 In her e-mail response, Senator Keough referred to a conversation with Superintendent Don Bartling stating, “I told him that I personally will have a hard time taking the vote of the people away and undoing a commitment that was made in the past when schools were forced to consolidate.” 

Between now and the Idaho State Legislative Session starting in January 2011, all Boundary County citizens will have the opportunity to contact their legislators to voice their opinions on changing Idaho law.