Kurt Liebeck seeks reappointment to State Board of Education; committee delays vote

Kurt Liebeck, a current member of the Idaho State Board of Education, appeared before the Idaho Senate Education Committee for consideration of his gubernatorial reappointment to a term beginning July 1, 2024, and expiring July 1, 2029. The committee did not vote on the reappointment at the meeting and said it would take up a vote at a later date.

Liebeck reviewed his prior term and said confirmation in February 2020 was immediately followed by the COVID-19 pandemic, when board work focused on keeping students in school. "No matter what decision we made, 50% of the people were mad at us," Liebeck said, describing the uncertainty officials faced early in the pandemic. He told the committee that while every student in the country experienced learning loss, Idaho performed relatively well compared with other states because state and local actors prioritized keeping schools open.

Liebeck described three areas he would emphasize if reappointed: K-3 literacy; improved middle-school math; and better postsecondary pathways and degree completion so more students leave high school with a clear next step, whether that is college, apprenticeship, military service or workforce training. He told the committee he supports programs that align education with labor-market demand and cited the state's direct-admission program and Launch (a state program referenced during his remarks) as innovations he views positively.

When asked by Senator Kevin Cook for his top priorities, Liebeck reiterated K-3 literacy, middle-school math and increasing on-ramps to postsecondary opportunities, and he emphasized degree completion and conferring credentials in fields the economy needs.

Senator Tammy Nichols asked how Liebeck would work to prevent federal overreach in education policy. Liebeck cited the No Child Left Behind era as the origin of many federal structures and said staying closely engaged with federal developments and with the state superintendent's office will be important going forward. "It's going to be a really interesting 4 years, in terms of how ... the overreach that exists today, plays out with the new administration," he said.

Liebeck said he would be available for additional one-on-one conversations with committee members and asked for their questions; the committee chairman said the panel would likely vote on the reappointment at its next meeting.

Ending: The committee did not vote on Liebeck's reappointment during the session and scheduled further consideration at a future meeting.