Idaho seeks $20M for schools; state moves to overhaul funding formula

kivitv.com · September 5, 2026

# Idaho seeks $20M for schools; state moves to overhaul funding formula

Published: 2026-09-05T11:59:06-06:00 Source: kivitv.com (kivitv.com) Language: en

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Idaho seeks $20M for schools; state moves to overhaul funding formula

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# Idaho seeks $20M for schools as state moves to overhaul 30-year-old funding formula

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BOISE, Idaho — Earlier this year, we sat down with Idaho Superintendent Debbie Critchfield about resisting education budget cut requests from lawmakers.

On Friday afternoon, Idaho News 6 received a press release from Critchfield about her request for $20 million in new operational funding, which she said is "[informed] by where schools are financially and what they need."

WATCH | Critchfield talks budget cut refusals

Idaho schools superintendent refuses additional budget cuts after already reducing spending by millions

This allocation would "[allow] schools to address a variety of needs" and is "the largest source of dollars used to fund special education services," Critchfield shared in the release.

> "... We remain committed to supporting students who need more to succeed while moving toward a solution that eliminates the need for one-time asks and constant negotiation. We want a funding formula that works for Idaho’s modern classrooms, and this budget request is an important step in that direction." — Superintendent Debbie Critchfield

Critchfield's funding request comes after a one-time funding appropriated by the Legislature to aid students with high-needs. According to Critchfield, this was a temporary solution.

She also shared that her department discussed 'overhauling Idaho's public school funding formula," which was initially set in 1994.

> "Revising that formula to get the right funding into the right places will help solve problems for high-needs students, our educators, and our educational communities. It will create a flow of money that reflects today’s needs, not 1994’s." — Superintendent Debbie Critchfield

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