TWIN FALLS, Idaho — After weeks of uncertainty, the federal government has reversed its decision to freeze education funding, releasing $5.5 billion nationally, including nearly $27 million for Idaho schools.
The funding reversal comes just weeks before the new school year begins, providing relief to districts that had been forced to pause hiring and reassign staff when the funds were initially frozen.
"(We are) very grateful that we got the money. We're very grateful that we are able to continue to meet the needs of our students. However, the inconsistency is a challenge," said Peggy Hoy, Idaho Education Association board member.
Hear how the outcome of the on-again, off-again funding freeze is impacting Twin Falls schools:
Hoy, who has taught in the Twin Falls School District for 34 years, says recruiting teachers in Idaho is already difficult, and the last-minute funding freeze didn't help morale.
"I think they look at that what happened with the federal freeze as an attack on public education," Hoy said.
Earlier this month, school districts across Idaho scrambled to redraw budgets after the federal government froze nearly $7 billion nationwide. The Twin Falls School District had $1.5 million frozen, forcing administrators to pause hiring and reassign staff.
Eva Craner from the Twin Falls School District described the impact of the uncertainty.
"It really kind of throws you for a loop and feels a little like we're not stable, which is hard for staff members who were — for about a month — unsure of this career that they had chosen, whether that was gonna be available to them at all in the future," Craner said.
Despite the challenges, Craner noted that the situation could have been worse.
"Now we're filling those vacancies that we had to make a little bit more progress on that. A three-week pause isn't the end of the world, but it does make HR a little crazy," she said.
For educators like Hoy, the situation has motivated increased political engagement.
"That is why I think educators right now are so willing to be reaching out to their legislators both at the state and at the national level because they're seeing that their profession is being attacked," Hoy said.
Districts in Idaho and nationwide are expected to receive the funding by next week.
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