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Senate education committee hears Kurt Liebeck on reappointment to State Board of Education; no vote scheduled
Summary
The Idaho Senate Education Committee heard incumbent Kurt Liebeck describe his pandemic-era and post-pandemic work on the State Board of Education and outline priorities if reappointed. The committee did not vote on the gubernatorial reappointment at the meeting.
The Idaho Senate Education Committee held a reappointment hearing for Kurt Liebeck, the governor’s nominee to a second term on the State Board of Education, and did not vote on the nomination at the session.
Liebeck, who was confirmed to the board in February 2020, told the committee he spent much of his first term responding to COVID-19 school disruptions and said the state’s collective focus on keeping schools open helped Idaho fare relatively well compared with other states. “Every student in Idaho took a step backwards during that time,” Liebeck said, describing both academic and social-emotional impacts.
Why it matters: Liebeck said he seeks another five-year term to help translate recent legislative investments into improved student outcomes. “When you take the prioritization we have with the level of investment, we’re gonna really see some meaningful improvement in the next 5 years,” he told the committee.
Priorities if reappointed: In response to a committee question, Liebeck listed K–3 literacy, middle-school math and increasing the percentage of high-school graduates who enter and complete a post–secondary pathway — whether that pathway is a four-year college, a two-year program, an apprenticeship, military service or a mission — as top priorities. “We need more Idaho students to have identified a pathway and get on a pathway and get an edge,” he said.
On federal policy and “overreach,” asked by Senator Tammy Nichols, Liebeck traced much of current federal assessment structure to the No Child Left Behind era and urged staying attentive to Washington policy changes that could affect state flexibility. “I think it’s going to be really important to stay close to Washington,” he said.
Next steps: Chairman Dave Lent told the committee it would not vote on the reappointment at that meeting and would consider the nomination at a later date, likely in an additional meeting planned for the week. No formal motion or roll-call vote was taken at the hearing.
Ending: Liebeck invited committee members to meet with him individually for follow-up questions; the committee adjourned without action on the nomination.
