IDAHO VOTERS' PAMPHLET
Ballot Propositions To Be Voted On at the General Election November 7, 2006

Argument IN FAVOR OF Proposition 1

Proposition 1: Our Schools Are In Trouble.
This is Your Chance to Do Something About It.

Years of stagnant or decreasing funding means our local schools and kids across Idaho are missing opportunities and falling behind:

• Idaho ranks 45th in the nation on what we spend to educate our children.
• We have the nation's 8th most crowded classrooms.
• We have the 44th lowest percentage of kids going on to college.

In every part of Idaho, this harms our kids' chances at success and Idaho's ability to prosper:

• Books, technology and materials are out of date - and there aren't enough to go around. ; Many children cannot take textbooks home for homework.
• In some schools, students cannot take basic courses such as Chemistry unless they pay extra.
• Roofs leak and carpets are 40-years old.

This is unacceptable. Educating our children and providing enough teachers, up-to-date learning materials and safe classrooms should be our highest priority.

Don't be fooled. No other proposal on the ballot guarantees additional school funding. It's up to us to do the right thing for our children's education.

Proposition 1: Money for What Students Need, with Accountability and
Local Control for Taxpayers

Proposition 1 - The Idaho Local Public School Investment Act - increases education funding for all Idaho public schools by adding 1% back to the state sales tax, returning it to 6% from 5%. The increase can only go to public school funding. If the legislature takes the penny for another purpose? They must replace the funding with an alternative source without harming other critical services.

Proposition 1 requires 100% of the additional revenue generated be spent on classroom instruction and support. Local school districts must choose from a specific menu of nine areas to spend the money and must issue an annual report to the public showing these funds were used as intended.

Proposition 1:
Delivers the Best Teaching Methods and Supplies We Can Offer

• In addition to out-of-date and inadequate supplies of basic textbooks, some teachers are forced to teach English without books or dictionary skills without dictionaries. Prop. 1 provides up-to-date supplies and learning materials.

Maintains or Lowers Class Size

• Proposition 1 funds schools to reduce class sizes and prevent class size increases so students receive the individual attention they need to succeed.

Attracts and Retains Highly Qualified Teachers & School Staff

• Students deserve the very best possible educators and school support staff. Prop. 1 helps attract and keep the best and brightest.

Helps Provide a Quality Education for All Public School Students

• Every Idaho student should be prepared, whether for college or a job. This initiative supports college preparatory classes and technical (vocational) training courses.

Proposition 1 makes our kids' education a bigger priority. Every Idaho public school benefits. Local schools will have adequate and stable funding to provide kids with the textbooks, teachers and technology they need to compete in tomorrow's job market. ;

Yes on Prop 1: A Good Return on Our Investment

www.yesforidahoschools.org

Rebuttal to Argument in Favor of Proposition 1

The Idaho Education Association is lying in order to get you to support a 20 percent increase in the sales tax.

Idaho's public schools receive more money each and every year. Our public schools now receive $1.03 billion from the state. So why would the teacher's union lie in order to get money for public schools? And why has the teacher's union used token arguments about a lack of books to convince you that we need to raise the sales tax? Why would the Idaho Education Association be willing to raise other taxes - including the property tax - for its cause?

The fact of the matter is, the teacher's union wants this tax increase to pay for teacher raises. That is obvious from the fact that the union has failed to mention this as being one of the possible uses of the sales tax increase. In fact, the Idaho education Association's Proposition One doesn't require schools that need books, to buy books. Already, money going to schools to pay for supplies is being siphoned off to pay for teacher salaries. Recently, the teacher's union forced the Meridian School District to forgo buying new books and supplies in order to pay for teacher raises.

This kind of tax and spend policy has worked so well in some school districts, the Idaho Education Association wants you to support it on a statewide bases. The losers in this arrangement will be our kids. Please protect Idaho's children by voting against the teacher's union and Proposition One.

— Idahoans for Excellence in Education

Arguments printed on this page are the opinions of the authors and have not been checked for accuracy by any official agency.