On Underfunded Schools

Think of this, next time public schools complain about lack of funding:

Idaho state law is quite clear that no child under the age of five can legally be enrolled in a public school. (The only exception is for special education students, in which case children as young as three may be enrolled.) Even the education establishment understands this, as otherwise it would abandon its annual attempt to convince the legislature to lower the school age to four…

However, state law appears to be no barrier to the

Boise School District, which is now operating at least two pre-school programs which are not restricted to special education students. These two pre-schools operate at Hawthorne and Whittier elementary schools.

(The fault here, by the way, does not lie with the teachers in these pre-K classrooms who are just trying to teach children and are probably unaware of the legal implications involved. The fault lies with an administration which approves programs which appear to be in clear violation of state law.) 

The IVA called all nine

Boise School District elementary schools which list preschool faculty on their websites, and was told by seven of them that their pre-K offerings are reserved for special ed students. However, both Hawthorne and Whittier assured the IVA that although students must be “screened,” their “

Already Pre-School” programs are not in fact restricted to special education students. 

The case amounts to a scandalous misappropriation of funds, given the shortages which are always at issue in public schools.