Little sets school buildings, water infrastructure and transportation as top priorities
Little
BOISE (AP) — Idaho Gov. Brad Little announced a plan to invest $2 billion over 10 years to repair and improve the state's neglected school buildings during his annual "State of the State" address marking the start of the legislative session on Monday.
"We've all seen the pictures and videos of some Idaho schools that are neglected — crumbling, leaking, falling apart," Little told lawmakers, members of the judicial branch and others at the Statehouse. "In one school I visited, raw sewage is seeping into a space under the cafeteria. Folks, we can do better."
Idaho's school facilities are largely funded through property taxes, which means districts must rely on voter-approved levies when they have big maintenance or expansion projects. The funding method often means districts in higher-income areas, where levies are more likely to pass, have newer classrooms and better athletic facilities while districts in lower-income areas or with voters unwilling to pass levies have leaky roofs and other building woes.
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