Quit Playing Politics With Vulnerable Kids!

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The Message:

 

Tell Governor Otter to quit playing politics with vulnerable kids. Tell your legislator to override the Governor’s Veto and uphold H126, a bill that has already passed both houses with strong majorities .

 

The Governor Vetoed a very important bill, HB 126, this bill would allow state education  money  to “follow the child” if they move from one school to another school during one school year.  “Idaho families desperately seeking education solutions for their children  are extremely disappointed in the Governor’s  “no”  when the people’s representatives said “yes”. As Tom LeClaire, a Board Member of the Coalition of Idaho Charter School Families said, “Kicking the can down the road yet another year does nothing for the children that need help now.”  We urge all Members of the Idaho House of Representatives to vote to over ride the Governor’s Veto of HB126.

ACTION ALERT on Ed funding VETO!

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ACTION ALERT on Ed funding VETO!

 

Just yesterday, Governor Butch Otter,  VETOED this ed funding bill which affects MOST Idaho schools at some point in their years’ of attendance.  (See bill details below.**)  Supporters feel he has sent a clear “anti-school choice” message that would especially hurt kids at risk…making them wait once again.  By vetoing HB#126 - which passed both the state House and Senate by super majority numbers - Governor Otter and the education establishment have once again forced public school students who transfer to a different school after November to NOT be funded.

 

Please help us by passing the word to contact Speaker of the House, Scott Bedke* and asking the Members of the House to override Governor Otter's Veto of HB 126. They need to be asked that all children in Idaho are treated equally regardless of what public school they attend!

 

1.  *House Speaker’s Office – Rep. Scott Bedke (208)-332-1111 or  sbedke@house.idaho.gov

 

2.  Your Representatives & Senator to ask Rep. Bedke to override House Bill #126

Contact info: http://legislature.idaho.gov/howtocontactlegislators.htm

 

**Bill details: http://www.legislature.idaho.gov/legislation/2015/H0126.htm

 

 

House Bill #309

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TO:  Coalition of Idaho Charter School Families & Charter School Stakeholders

 

 

House Bill #309 - the Public Charter School Debt Reserve passed the House Education Committee unanimously on Thursday, March 26 and just passed the full House this morning. It now needs to pass the SENATE.  Senators need to hear from charter school stakeholders to know they support this!

 

Idaho’s public charter schools struggle to afford facilities and many tools for traditional public schools are not available to public charter schools.  House Bill #309 creates a debt reserve to help qualifying public charter schools obtain lower interest rates on loans in a manner similar to what is already available to traditional public schools.

 

When public charter schools purchase or improve facilities, they begin by borrowing from private lenders.  However, they generally have little equity or collateral to offer.  As a result, the interest rates on their loans are generally high.  With the creation of a debt reserve, qualifying charter schools could point to the fund as assurance to the lender that, in the event of default, monthly payments could be made out of the fund for a limited period of time.  With this backstop, the bank will offer lower interest rates on loans.  Schools would have to be approved by the Idaho housing and finance association to rely on the fund, and only those that demonstrate strong financials – and thus a low-likelihood of defaulting on the loan – would qualify.     

 

Bill details:  

http://legislature.idaho.gov/legislation/2015/H0309.htm

Senators' contact info:

http://legislature.idaho.gov/senate/membership.cfm