Vote against debt! The state needs to do their job and fund the school districts properly. “it wouldn’t reduce classroom sizes, a chief complaint by district parents. That would require hiring more teachers, and the district says it doesn’t receive enough money from the state for that.” (Idaho Statesman)

This would have been a 20 year bond. What happens in another 10 years when we are in the same boat?

Really need to move ALL such elections to November only.

2/3 is a wonderful law!! Apparently there used to be smart people running Idaho.

Thank you to those who voted.

Thank you to those who got the word out about another stealth election.

The local media did their best to confuse and bias the issue in favor of passing. They also kept it very low key until Thursday. SOP style for the Meridian district and their local liberal media friends.

Now why is it we need to build new schrewels anyway? Where are all the kids coming from? The birth rate is fairly low… (at least it is for those not on welfare and/or here unlawfully). So somewhere in the country there are low enrollment numbers and schools closing?… Can the feds send us money from those districts instead? And, how about some massive cost cuts over at the district HQ. So many layers of staff and management, so many personal offices, so many company vehicles, and cellphone plans etc etc.

Non-profit my backside! Lots of personal profit at the HQ. Do you think it’s possible to build a district ratings website? Like the one we can use to evaluate charities?

Prepare for round-2. There will be a media storm of epic gnashing and whining about the suicide of voting this down… followed by a very quiet re-attempt after they’ve educated each and every soccer mom.

And let’s get some legislation past at the statehouse which forces all elections on to one day per year in November. One place, one ballot, one election.

And for goodness sake, don’t elect the liberal to be Governor.

And, Our teachers are under-paid and under-recognized. This is not about the teachers… this is about their sell-out union officials and the education management leaders who’ve spent decades building a ridiculously expensive and under-performing baby-sitting system.

It’s not about spending more… the schools in expensive states suck too. And there are kids who go to school barefoot on a dirt-floored school all over the world that outperform. It’s about the need for a total overhaul of a failed concept.

All of this is so obvious that it is becoming apparent that American leadership is failing intentionally?

Guardian,

Thank you for keeping up on the actual participation level of this election.

I, for one, appreciate that a “Super Majority” is required to encumber my home for ten, twenty, or thirty years with a bond issue.

I may be in a minority; but, I have no problem with a 50+% vote if the debt would only be for one year or less. Of course, if given the opportunity to numb our senses with 50+% debt; the school districts might blur the issue for larger debt and for longer periods.

How often have the news outlets and promoters told us that there would be no increase in payments because one debt replaces another bond that is paid off? Thus, reducing our payments if a new borrowing is not happen.

I kind of like the idea that debt is paid in full and not replaced with another borrowing.

One can not limit the franchise to one group, such a property owners, or parents of school-age children, or right-handed pencil users. However, one could, and perhaps should limit the election dates to primary or general election dates in an attempt to get higher turn out. That will not ensure a more highly informed electorate, just a larger turn-out. Barring that, perhaps there should be one date, state-wide for ALL school elections, bonds, levies, school board trustees. Such an arrangement would, at least, mean that all information would get an equal amount of publicity and eliminate confusion about who should vote when about what. I think that, that date should be during the school year, when attention in more likely to be focused of schools and education.

Two points made by most of you bear repeating:

–school bond votes must be held on the general (or primary, as a less-attractive alternative) election schedule; and

–legislature needs to provide adequate schools funding; this patching by local districts is patently unfair (e.g., to smaller districts) and results in an unequal physical plant and instruction program across the state.

As it is, the legislature has just shifted the burden to property taxes. I’d argue it’s the job of the state to fund education…state-wide. Maybe they should consider impact fees on large developments?

Until these bonds start to fail the legislature won’t deal with the problem. Send them a message.

Your premise is flawed Dave. No matter which side prevailed it wouldn’t change the fact that a small number of people imposed their will on 100% of the electorate. The super majority requirement just allowed 3.7% of the electorate to decide for the 6.3% and everyone else.

Dale G

I was not aware that I blamed anyone. I just pointed out that his premise is flawed.
No matter what happened a small minority would decide the outcome. In this case a very small minority bested a larger minority due to the way the law is written. I have to wonder why that is better than a minority beating an even smaller minority of voters.