BOISE - Idaho's public schools funding proposal for fiscal year 2019 - the largest share of the state's budget - is headed to Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter's desk for consideration.
House lawmakers signed off on the budget plan on Friday. It's now up to Otter to approve or veto the budget, but he is expected to sign off on the new spending plan.
State budget writers agreed earlier this year to boost the general fund's share of the public school funding by 5.9 percent. In total, the schools budget is roughly $1.8 billion with the combination of state and federal funds.
The funding plan includes a boost to discretionary funding for Idaho classrooms, as well as increased funding for classroom technology by $10.5 million. The bulk of the increase, however, is going toward the state's program for boosting teacher salaries through a "career ladder plan."
