New report: Reclaim Idaho initiative would increase funding for K-12 by $323 million annually

**Press Release from Reclaim Idaho**

A fiscal analysis by the Idaho Division of Financial Management found that the Quality Education Act initiative will increase funding for K-12 education by $323 million per year.

Reclaim Idaho, the organization that spearheaded the successful 2018 campaign to expand Medicaid, says a boost in education funding is needed to give Idaho kids access to qualified teachers and the skills they need to earn a living. Reclaim Idaho’s $323 million proposal is significantly larger previous proposals.

Reclaim Idaho says that a large increase in education funding is especially needed this year due to the Idaho Legislature’s $389 million tax cut, which heavily favored Idaho’s wealthiest taxpayers.

“Months ago, when the legislature began pushing through massive tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy that would shrink Idaho’s tax base, we decided to make the new version of our initiative bigger and bolder,” said Reclaim Idaho co-founder Luke Mayville. “Truthfully, even an additional $323 million per year will not fill all of the funding gaps in our education system. But this investment will help turn the tide and will give our kids better access to qualified teachers and the skills they need to earn a living.”

Idaho ranks last among 50 states in education funding per student. School districts across the state, especially in rural areas, lack stable funding for a wide range of programs — including programs like welding, carpentry, and agricultural science that provide students with job-ready skills.

According to numbers from the State Department of Education, the average Idaho teacher salary dropped by nearly $900 last year. And a 2018 report by the State Board of Education found that 1 in 10 Idaho teachers are leaving the profession each year.

The Quality Education Act is paid for by a modest tax increase for corporations and the wealthiest Idahoans. The initiative does not raise taxes on anyone making under $250,000 per year. Individuals earning over $250,000 would pay new taxes only on the income they earn above $250,000. Married couples would pay new taxes only on the income they earn above $500,000.