POST FALLS, ID-- Absences from the Swine Flu have stabilized a bit in North Idaho, but those sick days could have a big financial impact on school districts in the future. Administrators hope the state will bail them out.
School funding is based on student attendance. The more children in a district, the more money the district receives. But with so many students absent early this school year, misleading attendance figures could cost districts hundreds of thousands of dollars. The state school superintendent’s office bases its biggest payout to districts on the first 8 weeks of school. That’s usually when attendance is highest. This year, with so many students absent, and some schools even closing for a few days, districts say their numbers would be misleading.
In response, administrators across Idaho are expected to ask for waivers. That would allow the state to base its funding on previous years. The Post Falls School Board approved one Monday night. Attendance in the district is only about 5% lower than normal, but that equals thousands of dollars.
Jerry Keane, the Post Falls Superintendent, says it would be disastrous for his districts or any other district to have attendance that is lower than what is real. He says what is real is about 95%. Keane says losing that money would lead to losing teachers, since there would theoretically be fewer students. The state superintendent’s office expects to get H1N1 waivers from most North Idaho districts.
