Superintendent of Public Instruction Sherri Ybarra presented her fiscal 2023 budget request to lawmakers Monday, saying it’s “time to make strategic investments in Idaho students and schools.”
Overall, Ybarra is recommending a $3.292 billion K-12 budget for fiscal 2023, which begins July 1. That includes $2.227 billion in state general fund support, which is a $166.8 million or 8.1% increase over the original 2022 budget. Gov. Brad Little, by contrast, is recommending a $249.5 million, 11% increase in state support, as part of his $3.358 billion public schools budget proposal.
Among other line items, Ybarra’s budget includes $49 million in increased salaries and benefits for teachers, plus another $18.7 million for administrators and classified staff. While the governor is recommending a 5% salary increase for classified staff, Ybarra advocated for a 6% increase, saying school districts need help in addressing the labor market shortages that are affecting the entire economy right now. Ybarra also proposed a 5.4% increase in discretionary funds, as well as a 5.3% increase in state support for employee health care premiums. Collectively, those two items would provide an additional $1,580 per school support unit.
The joint budget committee will take Ybarra’s and Little’s recommendations into consideration when they begin crafting the 2023 school budget later this session. (Lewiston Tribune)
