$2 billion ‘won’t be enough’ to cover all Idaho schools’ maintenance costs, districts argue 

Despite $2 billion passed in state funding last year to maintain Idaho schools over the next decade, recent reports from districts warn they will need an estimated $6 billion more.

“The money is helpful, and I appreciated the effort, but our needs exceed the amount we received,” wrote Joe Steele, Butte County School District superintendent, to the Idaho Statesman and ProPublica in an email. The district in northern Idaho has approximately 400 students.

“Even spread out over several years to address issues, it won’t be enough to cover all the needs.” 

Such reports highlight the high cost of maintaining the public school system when many districts are consolidating and public-school alternatives are gaining momentum nationwide. 

“Schools will always ask for more money, despite flat enrollment,” said Fred Birnbaum, director of legislative affairs at the Idaho Freedom Foundation and Idaho Freedom Action, in an email to The Lion. 

“Since there is no correlation between per-pupil spending and test results, it makes no sense to just spend more money with flat or declining enrollment.” 

‘Faulty heating systems, leaking roofs, broken plumbing’ 

Students in the Gem State have long attended schools with “faulty heating systems, leaking roofs and broken plumbing” because of maintenance issues going unresolved, according to journalists. 

“Much of the new money from the funding bill is being distributed based on the number of students attending school in each district — a big problem for smaller and more rural schools.” 

For example, about 40% of districts will receive up to $2 million each, which isn’t sufficient to cover the expense of comprehensive repairs. 

“In many cases, the amount of money a school district will receive is less than it would cost for it to build a school or make major renovations,” Becca Savransky wrote. 

“Cassia County Joint School District, which is expected to receive around $21 million, said its most pressing needs include adding 13 classrooms and building a gym, which it estimates will cost around $30 million, according to its application materials. The Council School District needs a new elementary school that it estimates will cost around $8 million. It received just over $1 million. The Grace Joint School District said a new high school would cost around $40 million, but it will receive around $2 million.” 

‘Nickeled and dimed to death’ 

While the Legislature’s $2 billion passed last year can help fund schoolwide projects, it can’t go toward routine needs such as fixing windows or paying maintenance staff. 

This becomes a problem when local bonds paying for school repairs and construction fail to pass with two-thirds of voter support – a requirement “many superintendents say is nearly impossible to reach,” Savransky notes. 

Meanwhile, students and staff are forced to endure “deteriorating plumbing, freezing classrooms and cracking walls” in schools like Valley View Elementary, says Boundary County superintendent Jan Bayer. 

“It’s getting to the point where we’re just getting nickeled and dimed to death,” she said of the 13,000-person county, which runs along the Canadian border. 

However, other options exist to fund maintenance outside federal funding, Birnbaum argued – highlighting the more than $400 million annually given to schools in discretionary spending. 

“School maintenance is generally NOT supported by federal funds,” he wrote. “During (the COVID-19 pandemic), funds went to all sorts of things, but generally they are not used for maintenance. … Another option would be to reduce administrative bloat.” 

All but one of the state’s districts had provided cost estimates to the state’s education department based on current condition assessments to receive the funding, as of Feb. 3. 

The estimates conclude it will require more than $8 billion over 10 years for every school in Idaho to be fixed and maintained.