Save Our Schools town hall meetings to be held in east Idaho this week

POCATELLO – People living in and around three eastern Idaho towns will have the chance to hear from educators and school district officials about efforts to direct public funds toward private schools.

A nonprofit advocacy group called “Save our Schools Idaho” is holding three town halls on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday starting at 6:30 p.m. in Blackfoot, Pocatello and Soda Springs. There will be different speakers at each town hall, all speaking on what Save Our Schools has described as the “harms” of voucher programs.

A news release from Save Our Schools says the intent of the town halls are to, “inform voters about the harms of this growing voucher program… Events provide voters with facts about how similar efforts in other states have drained public school budgets, led to rising property taxes, and harmed student outcomes — especially for rural communities.”

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Save Our Schools Idaho describes itself as “a network of public education champions committed to providing information, data, and education to the people of Idaho about vouchers and similar policies aimed at dismantling Idaho’s public education system.”

The state of Idaho has introduced the Idaho Parental Tax Credit, a $50 million program that provides parents with $5,000 grants, which come in the form of refundable tax credits, to go towards the tuition of a student going to private school. Students with disabilities could receive up to $7,500 grants.

This program was introduced by cosponsors Rep. Wendy Horman, R-Idaho Falls, and Senate Majority Leader Lori Den Hartog, R-Meridian as House Bill 93. It was signed into law by Governor Brad Little in late February, after over 86% of the 37,000 voters who called his office asked him to veto the bill, according to the Idaho Statesman.

The town hall in Blackfoot will be held on Monday in the Bingham County Senior Center at 20 East Pacific Street in Blackfoot. It will be moderated by Karole Honas, a former news anchor, and its panelists will be Superintendent Brian Kress of the Blackfoot School District, Snake River School Board Trusteee Josh Sorensen and Logan Lindholm, a Blackfoot educator.

Pocatello’s town hall will be held on Tuesday in the Idaho State University Pond Student Union Building at 1080 South 5th Avenue. It will also be moderated by Honas and its panelists will include March Curr, a Pocatello High School teacher, Kelly Heil, a Hawthorne Middle School Teacher and Superintendent Scott Woolstenhulme of the Bonneville School District.

The Soda Springs town hall will be held on Wednesday in Soda Springs City Hall, at 9 W 2nd S. The panel will be moderated by Representative Soñia Galaviz, of the Idaho House of Representatives for District 16A, and it will include Alan Erickson, a Soda Springs High School teacher, Summer Fullmer, a Thirkill Elementary School teacher and Soda Springs School District Trustee Mike Veile.

All of the town halls are scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m. and go until 8 p.m. People who go to any of the town halls can expect to hear from the attending panelists, as well as ask them questions.

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