DOWNTOWN — Idaho Superintendent Debbie Critchfield is pushing back against lawmakers' requests for additional education budget cuts, saying she already made major reductions in December and won't recommend more.
"I'm not going to provide any more. We've already... because we've already done it, we did it ahead of the game," Critchfield said.
WATCH | Critchfield pushes back on lawmakers' requests for more education cuts
In a letter to the Joint Finance Appropriations Committee, Critchfield outlined major revisions she made to next year's public schools budget in December, including a $50 million cut to special education and millions more based on attendance data.
Last week, the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee asked her office to plan for additional one and two-percent cuts for both this year and next — a request she says came as a surprise.
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"I'm not willing to come in and kind of draw a roadmap of other places to cut because we did that," Critchfield said.
As Idaho News 6 has reported, Governor Brad Little wants to keep education off the list of extra cuts, but he says lawmakers have the final say.
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"Look, we, if, if there was anything easy, we would have done it," Little said to a group of reporters at the Twin Falls Library on Monday.
"The constitution is clearly laid out that this was an obligation of the legislature to fund education, and I still stand behind that," said Critchfield.
Critchfield says her December reductions should cover the reality of lower revenues.
"My response was we already did, and I don't see room for anywhere else at this point," Critchfield said.
She offered reassurance to public school K-12 parents concerned about the budget discussions.
"There are many people out there that are an advocate for keeping the classrooms at in an environment where the teachers can teach and that our kids have the access to the resources that they need," Critchfield said. "The differences come in how to provide that."
The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee plans to decide on Friday whether education will be included in the added budget cuts.
