SUPERINTENDENT LUNA REQUESTS 5% INCREASE IN FUNDING FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS NEXT YEAR

Superintendent of Public Instruction TomLuna has requested a 5.1 percent increase in state funding for Idaho’s publicschools for the 2013-14 school year, the state’s fiscal year 2014.
“I am excited about this budget because itprovides Idaho educators with the resources they need to continue improvingeducation for every child across Idaho,” Superintendent Luna said. “Ninetypercent of the new funding requested today goes toward increasing compensationand benefits for the employees who are working hard in schools across the stateevery day.”
The average teacher in Idaho will see a$2,000 increase in total compensation in the current year. Superintendent Lunahopes to increase that further in fiscal year 2014 for teachers as well asother school employees.
State agencies are required to submitbudget proposals for the upcoming fiscal year to the Governor in earlySeptember.
Here are the highlights of SuperintendentLuna’s request for a 5.1 percent increase in state funding for Idaho’s publicschools next fiscal year:

• Continuesto fully fund all components of Students Come First. 
• $14.8million: Increase base salaries for Idaho teachers, administrators andclassified staff by 1.67 percent, offsetting an FY2012 shift in salary-basedapportionment under Idaho Code.
• $6.2million: Restore one year of experience that is currently frozen on the gridfor Idaho teachers. 
• $22.6million: Increase funding for statewide pay-for-performance to $61 million.This increase includes new funding to financially reward Idaho teachers fortaking on leadership duties and working in hard-to-fill positions. It alsoincludes funding to ensure school-based classified staff, such asparaprofessionals, can participate in schoolwide student achievement bonuses inthe future.
• $8.4million: Increase to deploy 1:1 laptop devices to high school students in thefirst one-third of high schools selected statewide. High school teachers andprincipals statewide will receive 1:1 devices this fall.
• $1million: Increase the line item dedicated to District IT staff support at thelocal level.
• $1.1million: Increase the line item dedicated to Remediation, Math Initiative andthe Reading Initiative to assist local school districts in implementing the newCommon Core State Standards in mathematics and English language arts and thestate’s new accountability system, known as the Five-Star Rating System.

The budget request reflects recommendationsSuperintendent Luna received from representatives of the Idaho School BoardsAssociation, Idaho Association of School Administrators, Idaho EducationAssociation, Idaho Association of School Business Officials and otherstakeholder groups in August.
This budget request will now go to theGovernor’s office for consideration. The Governor will present his budgetrequest to the Idaho Legislature in January. The Legislature will set thebudget for fiscal year 2014 early next year. Fiscal year 2014 begins July 1,2013.