Note: This year IFF rated maintenance bills according to a more refined system. This is an enhancement bill, and will be rated as a standalone bill. IFF will only consider enhancement line items in these ratings. This means that FTP reductions passed in maintenance legislation will not be evaluated here, among other things.
Bill Description: Senate Bill 1408 is an enhancement of $356,300 and 0.00 new full-time positions for the Idaho Educational Services for the Deaf and the Blind (IESDB) for fiscal year 2027. This legislation appropriates a total of $17,477,900 and 0.00 full-time positions to the agency. The agency is housed in Public School Support and has 136.25 FTP.
Rating: -1
Is the continuation or growth in ongoing spending, if any, inappropriate for the changes in circumstances, scope of the agency, or current economic environment? Conversely, is the continuation or growth in ongoing spending appropriate given any change in circumstances or economic pressures?
This legislation authorizes an ongoing spending enhancement for the IESDB of $143,300, adding onto last year’s (FY26) increase in ongoing spending of $436,900. FY26’s ongoing spending is wrapped into FY27’s base increase, making ongoing spending especially important to scrutinize. Volatility in these increases (or decreases) is to be expected, and makes discernment on the propriety of new spending imperative.
The ongoing spending enhancement consists of funds for the internal Career Ladder of the IESDB Campus Staff ($62,600 GF) and Outreach Staff ($80,700 GF), which the SoP states is to provide “funding parity since these teachers are not on the state’s career ladder.” However, public school teachers did not receive a requested enhancement for career ladder increases this year. Agency request to the DFM states “Funding of this request will continue to adjust the compensation of IESDB certified staff and pupil service personnel to be comparable to compensation of other Idaho certified/pupil service personnel.” This request was only made for Campus Staff. It is unclear what these adjustments are doing, and the agency did not originally request Outreach Staff Career Ladder funding.
(-1)
Does this budget incur any wasteful spending among discretionary funds, including new line items? Conversely, does this budget contain any provisions that serve to reduce spending where possible (i.e. base reductions, debt reconciliation, etc.)?
This legislation authorizes onetime spending for the IESDB of $213,000, adding additional expenditures after last year’s (FY26) onetime spending of $68,000. Onetime spending is often even more volatile than ongoing spending, which is to be expected due to the onetime expenses generally being utilized for projects or capital outlay. This also calls for special scrutiny and discernment.
These consist of replacement of high mileage vans and buses ($213,000 GF) and are De Minimis to an agency of this size and scope.
(0)
