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House education chair urges sustained investment in rural schools, career-technical capacity
Summary
Representative Doug Pickett told the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee that Idaho has doubled K–12 general fund spending over the past decade but still faces major facility and special-education funding gaps; he urged continued support for rural schools and career-technical education while preserving core academic instruction.
Representative Doug Pickett, chairman of the House Education Committee, told the Joint Finance‑Appropriations Committee on March 7 that Idaho has made large gains in school funding over the past decade but still faces substantial unmet needs, particularly in rural districts and career-technical education (CTE).
"Over the past 10 years, the public education K‑12 budget has doubled from $1.4 billion to $2.8 billion," Pickett said. He said average teacher pay in Idaho has risen to nearly $63,000 this school year, representing a roughly 42% increase over the past decade, and he thanked the committee for an additional $83 million in salary increases proposed for the year.
Pickett said those investments do not eliminate other pressures on the system. He urged lawmakers to…
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