school funding

104 YEARS TeTon Valley news - February 7, 2013 - Page a1

Tony Goe: “I’m more afraid of the peo-ple coming after our food and after our [resources] than the government coming after our guns.”

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Kitchener Head: “When they take the guns away from the people they turn the people into slaves.”

“Attempts at confiscation will receive the death penalty,” said JB (Bruce) Campbell, founder of the modern militia movement, during a pro-gun rally at the Driggs City Center Feb. 1.

Photos & story by Ken LevyTVN Staff

If they come for your guns without a warrant, some-body’s going to have to die.

JB Campbell, who organized an anti-gun control rally at the Driggs Senior Center Friday night, told the full house that gun confiscation is an act of war against the people.

With gun owners increasingly jit-tery over myriad proposed gun control laws some perceive will eventually dis-arm them, some are gearing up to fight.

“Anyone who’s hoping there’s a safe, legal and peaceful way to hold on to his guns is going to be disappointed. Gun control is about who is going to run this country – us or the foreign gangsters,” said Campbell, founder of the modern militia movement.

Campbell said the “rabid dogs” in the Obama administration and the “international gangsters” of the United Nations, Communist China, the Israeli lobby and the Mexican drug cartels want ordinary American citi-zens disarmed.

“They mean to enslave all of us and kill some of us,” he said. “We’re going to have to fight back sooner or later, regardless of whom it pleases or displeases. It’s either fight or start

waving the white flag and I doubt that anyone in here is ever going to wave the white flag. Nope, we’ll fight it out and see who wins. I’m pretty sure it’s going to be us.”

By us, Campbell meant ordinary citizens, who account for some 300 million-400 million firearms in America. That massive number of guns is the only thing standing in the way of

“a declaration of a totalitarian dictator-ship by the Obama administration.”

Should laws involving confiscation be enacted, Teton County, along with the rest of the nation’s citizens, should be prepared to act against them, said Campbell.

“At that point, we start making changes,” he said. “We, the ones who pay the bills, take over the law. Our law will become what used to be called frontier justice. Attempts at confisca-tion will receive the death penalty.”

Campbell said a standard proce-dure of immediate action must be developed “in the event any county resident is attacked by gun-grabbers. This is the essence of our new neigh-borhood watch program: our readiness to defend our fellow residents from federal attackers.”

This will also apply to any attempt at police or military roadblocks in

what will the teton School District look like in 2014?

Anti-gun control rally Friday

are you ready to die for your guns?

Ken LevyTVN StaffThis is part 1 in a 4-part series that takes a look at school funding.

Although the Teton School District is still taking baby steps in its research, the con-cept of switching from a five to a four-day school week is one of many possibilities it’s considering to balance next year’s budget.

Regardless of whether voters March 12 renew an enlarged supplemental levy

— $3.1 million, up from $2.6 when it was renewed in 2011

— the district is looking at many alternatives to save money wherever it can.

TSD Superintendent Monte Woolstenhulme is speaking to other districts that have made the switch to four days, to see what the financial savings potential might be, as well as instructional and calendar issues. He’ll share details with the district board at its Feb. 11 meeting.

The idea has been floating around for several years in Teton County,

and some districts, such as Salmon, have adopted the plan.

The Salmon School District has been on a four-day school week for about seven years, said Joey Foote, SSD superintendent. Student academic achievement has been as good or better as with a five-day week, he said, with the district meet-ing state Adequate Yearly Progress goals measured in 2011 and all requirements for high-school accreditation.

“We would have a mutiny” if the district chose to return to five-day weeks, said Foote, who has been with the dis-trict about three years.

The four-day schedule is particularly effective for the ranching community, which puts kids home for the extra day a week, he said.

School days run 8:05 a.m.-4:15 p.m. High school runs seven periods, and Foote said there apparently are few issues with younger students on the long schedule. First graders, transition-

Four-day week, more cuts eyed; levy vote March 12

woolstenhulme

Foote

School continued on A12

Guns continued on A12

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the survey says. . .

TVN StaffThe Teton Valley News, in a recent survey, asked Facebook followers how they felt about the possibility of a four-day school week.

Here are excerpts from some of the more than 40 Facebook responses as of Jan. 31:

“I love it,” said angela Hoopes, who teaches eighth grade reading and literacy at Teton Middle School. “People who live in districts that operate this way say it was an adjustment at first, but would never go back. Plus, the [money] savings are for real. Definitely worth seriously considering, I think. I would love an extra 15-20 minutes of instructional time each class period to give my lesson that extra umph it needs to drive the concept home some days without having to spend half the next day when I could go on to something new.”

Survey continued on A12

“I’ll tell you this, sir: your statements are frightening, and I am speechless,” said Teton County Sheriff Tony Liford, during the rally.

104 YEARS Page a12 - February 7, 2013 - TeTon Valley news

Teton County, Campbell said.“We now know that

drones have been used against us here in the valley, so we encourage the shoot-ing down of these dangerous weapons at the first oppor-tunity,” he said. “Look up when you hear something overhead.”

According to Campbell, “there is no doubt” many police departments are encouraged to brutalize civilians.

“The list of American ter-rorism around the world is too long for this meeting,” Campbell said. “Many of us have suspected that our military men and women have been trained in Iraq and Afghanistan to brutalize civilians there, as a prelude to do the same to civilians over here.”

“I have faith in the USA,” said Teton County Sheriff Tony Liford, later in the meeting. Just because something is on the Internet doesn’t make it true, he said, and he defends everyone’s right to their own opinions. But he told Campbell and the audience that he “doesn’t have the same cynical view as other folks about this country.”

“I’ll tell you this, sir,” Liford said, “your statements are frightening, and I am speechless.”

Tony Goe, whose career included helping develop Intelligence business processes for the Defense Intelligence Agency and working with Joint Special Operations and other agencies, said he’d

“rather have those people [the military] by my side than anybody else when the feces hits the fan over this gun control thing.”

Goe said the people who will cause the most threat “are the people…who don’t have. I’m more afraid of the people coming after our food and after our [resources] than the govern-ment coming after our guns.”

Goe said he believes ordi-nary citizens should have the right to carry weapons of personal and self-defense equal to that allowed to the military.

“Do not come for my guns,” said Kitchener Head. “When they take the guns away from the people they turn the people into slaves. If they came for my guns, and I gave them to them, I would be the biggest coward that ever lived. When I die, it will not be as a slave, and it will not be as a coward.”

Jeff Stratton told the audience gun users should promote their sports and safety and help grow the next genera-tion of responsible gun users. He said he missed the rifle range that used to be in Victor and believes residents should band together to develop a formal rifle range to show the sport side of gun use.

“A few bad eggs ruin it for all,” he said.Liford, who was a New York City

cop earlier in his career, said he doesn’t require those seeking concealed-weapon permits in Teton County to take any kind of class or instruction prior to issuing

that permit.At the meeting, Liford read the proc-

lamation from the National Sheriffs’ Association, which supports the rights conferred by the Second Amendment to the Constitution.

The proclamation says, in part, that “the causes of violence must be addressed on many fronts, including improving mental health treatment, media violence, drugs, gangs, breakdown of the family, strengthening the laws that prevent or reduce the access of legally-prohibited persons to firearms and vigorous enforce-ment of existing laws.”

Sheriffs “strongly support our citizens’ protected right to bear arms under the Second Amendment,” the proclamation says, “and the NSA does not support any laws that deprive any citizen of the right provided under the Constitutional bill of rights.”

Idaho is a right-to-carry state, said Liford, and “you can’t legislate lunacy.”

Campbell said he started the Modern Militia Movement in 1989. He is the author of “The New American Man—A Call to Arms.”

TVN en EspañolJB Campbell organizó una reunión en con-tra de la regulación de las armas. Según Campbell el gobierno es una amenaza a la libertad del pueblo y la gente debe estar preparadas defenderse del gobierno. Otras que estaban presentes en la reunión pensa-ban que Campbell era un extremista. “Sus declaraciones son espantosas y me quedaron sin palabras,” dijo el Sheriff Tony Liford. Tony Goe, un exmilitar, dijo que tiene más miedo de ellos que quieren robar su comida y otros recursos que del gobierno.

School continued from A1____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Guns continued from A1__________________________________________________________________________________________________

ing from half-day kinder-garten, start the day with breakfast at school.

Districts throughout the state have differing sched-ules to meet the needs of their students in their community, but there’s no research that favors any particular schedule for student learning.

“ T h e s c h e d u l e isn’t the main factor,” Woolstenhulme said. “It’s the quality of the teacher in the classroom, and how engaged and supported the student is in that learning process.”

Better or worse?Statewide research to

date is inconclusive regard-ing whether a four-day school week is better or worse for students, or whether there really is no difference.

In its study on the effectiveness of the concept, the Rural Education Task Force of the Idaho State Department of Education said there is little research available on the practice of a four-day school week and its effects on student achievement.

“There is a lack of evidence that the four-day school week helps or hurts stu-dent achievement,” said the report, which surveyed Idaho districts subscribed to the four-day program.

While many districts report an increase in actual instructional time due to less inter-ference from athletics, doctor and den-tist appointments, “concerns have been expressed by some that certain students in need of more frequent reinforcement have trouble with continuity of learning with the three-day weekend,” the RETF said.

The switch from five to four days is an economic strategy used by small, rural school districts as an alternative to cutting programs. But the report said additional advantages come from that switch, includ-ing:

• Student dropout rates decline.• Student disciplinary referrals decrease.• Student achievement is generally not

affected either positively or negatively.• Student and teacher attendance

improves.• Students and teachers benefit from less

interrupted class time as a result of lon-

ger class periods and fewer transitions at all grade lev-els. This increases the effi-ciency of instruction.

• Students and teach-ers share more positive attitudes about school. Consequently, there is a marked improvement in school morale.

The switch doesn’t affect the number of instructional hours — 990 — required during a school year. Instead, it makes each school day longer, reducing the total days in school to roughly 150.

Teacher and administra-tor salaries remain the same since they are set as an annu-al salary rate. Salary savings

are realized by the cuts to hourly worker hours. Fewer substitutes are needed due to better attendance, according to the report.

“Districts typically report a cost sav-ings after transferring to a four-day school week but also report that the savings are not substantial,” the report said. “Most cost savings come as a result of decreased work schedules for classified staff who work on an hourly basis.”

Foote said financial savings are relatively small in the SSD, with the biggest savings, at about 15-20 percent, coming from bus route transportation over the widespread district. Classified salary savings run only about 5-10 percent, since some are working longer days rather than taking an entire full day off.

The report found similar results, with transportation costs potentially reduced by about 20 percent, although districts have to severely curtail busing students on non-school days. Fixed costs, such as insurance, remain constant. Those costs are not a net savings, however, since the state reimburses districts only up to 85 percent of their transportation costs.

Food service programs can also be cut by 20 percent, but that also does not include fixed costs.

“A full 20 percent reduction in these areas for many districts that have made the transi-tion results in roughly a 2 percent savings in the districts’ overall budget,” said the report.

“The savings come to the entire system, including the state,” Foote said.

The Salmon district, which serves 810 students, has a budget of $5.7 million.

SSD gets local budget support through a $350,000 supplemental levy. Now in the first year of its third voter-approved renewal, the funds go toward athletics, music and arts and technology.

Other concernsThe RETF said childcare is an issue, with

some parents saying they find it easier to find a babysitter for one day, rather than a few hours for five days.

“Others dislike it for the same reason and prefer to arrange for child care in smaller increments of time,” the report said. “Some schools have alleviated this concern by using high school students as baby-sitters for those in need.”

The report found other concerns regard-ing the transition, including:

• How young students will respond to longer school days. Many schools structure the day so the afternoon is composed of less academic work than the morning, thus allowing students to have some “down time,” according to the report

• Some educators are concerned that the four-day school week may appear to be inconsistent with the new emphasis for more time in school.

• The four-day school week will take more of the local community commit-ment than other schedule options as it can affect daily community routines.

• While a four-day school week may appear to be effective in one district, it does not guarantee that it will be effective in all.The report strongly recommends dis-

tricts considering the change get extensive community feedback.

TVN en EspañolPara ajustar su presupuesto, el distrito escolar de Teton está considerando todas las posibi-lidades. Una semana escolar de cuatro días es una opción para reducir los gastos del distrito. En Salmon, Id, las escuelas funcionan con solo cuatro días de escuela. Cada día es más largo para cumplir las horas escolares requisitas por el estado. Según Joey Foote, el superintendente del distrito escolar de Salmon, el rendimiento académico de los estudiantes ha sido tan buena o mejor como con una semana de cinco días. Pero, según una investigación del Rural Educa-tion Task Force, el horario de cuatro días reduce el presupuesto escolar por solamente 2 por ciento. El distrito escolar de Teton todavía no ha decidido en como reducir su gastos. También pedirá a los votantes el día 12 de Marzo una exacción especial de $3.1 millón.

Survey continued from A1

“My family moved back to Teton Valley not long ago after living in Salmon for four years,” said Megan Beard. “My kids and I loved the four day school week in Salmon. They had longer time in each class therefore having more time to finish assignments and have the teacher there for help. When they bring work home I am not always sure what the teacher is looking for, so if they get it done while having input in class it is a much better situation. After about two weeks of adjusting to the new schedule, we all loved it. My kids missed less school because we scheduled all eye doctor, dentist, etc. appointments for Fridays; if we needed to take off for the weekend we always [k]new we wouldn’t have to miss school because it was always a [four] day school week. I would be very happy with a four day school week.”

Tiffany Harris Jenkins: “I am con-cerned with the length of the school day for our younger children. The bus already comes at 7:05 in the morning, and our kids don’t get home until 4. If we had to add another hour plus to each school day, it would be much much too early or much much too late when our children left or arrived home from school.”

Andrea Arnold Davis: “If you cut down to 4 days...those are LONG days for the students and teachers. We learn better by repetition...doing things repeatedly in smaller amounts of time. Not by cramming informa-tion in long blocks of time.”

Lexie Hill: “We really should all join together and fight the real problem, which is the state of Idaho not put-ting education first. Idaho is cutting its own throat in so many ways by cutting funding to its schools.”

Johnny Ziem: “I think the state of public education in Idaho is a real shame.”

Conceal carry classTVN staff

The Teton Valley Republican Women are spon-soring a concealed carry permit class.

Legal Heat, a company that offers instruc-tion throughout the country led by attorneys and instructors certified through the National Rifle Association, will conduct the class. According to the organization’s website, the class qualifies par-ticipants to obtain the Idaho, Utah, Arizona, or Oregon concealed carry permits.

“Idaho does not require a certified instruc-tion class for the permit,” Lynda Skujins of the Republican Women said.

She also said that the State of Washington does not honor Idaho’s conceal carry permit, but Washington does honor Utah’s conceal carry per-mit and that Utah also requires a class conducted by a certified instructor.

The class will take place Tues., February 12, 2013 from 5:30- 9 p.m. at the Teton Valley Fairgrounds.

To register visit www.mylegalheat.com or call 877-252-1055.

Legal Heat will provide each paying class attendee who completes the entire class with a copy of the following:

1. A signed and certified application for the Utah concealed firearm permit.

2. A signed and certified certificate of com-pletion.

3. A copy of all class materials on a CD-ROM.

4. A fingerprint card.5. Two passport sized photographs.6. An envelope for use in applying for the

Utah concealed firearm permit.7. Instructions on how to apply for the

Wyoming, Idaho and Arizona concealed firearm permits

The schedule isn’t the main factor.

It’s the quality of the teacher in the

classroom, and how engaged and

supported the student is in that learning process._______________

MonteWoolstenhulme,

TSD Superintendent

Idaho is a right-to-carry state, and you can’t legislate

lunacy.____________

Tony LifordTeton County

Sheriff


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Staff Subtraction

AdminiStrAtorS

inStructionAl

clASSified

the potential loss of staff to the teton School district if budgets are cut should the supplemental levy fail to pass. the numbers are fte (full-time equivalent) and are only estimates at this time.

8.7 - 5.77 = 2.93

_________________

_________________

_________________

95.86-84.69=11.17

64.61-28.87=35.74

What the district has



What the state pays for



Who could go

Who could go

Who could go

Part two in a series on school funding

Ken LevyTVN Staff

Part Although the Teton School District has a strict policy about making budget cuts as far from the class-room as possible, student educational experiences could be affected should vot-ers fail to renew an expanded supplemental levy.

The district has more staff, including administra-tors, teachers and classified, than the state pays for. State and local funding together cover all of those positions, with some special educa-tion and Title 1 remediation programs funded federally.

But local funding — primarily the sup-plemental levy — picks up the cost of those not covered by state money.

“Without the levy there would be signifi-cant cuts in every category position we have in the district,” Monte Woolstenhulme,

TSD Superintendent, said.“The levy is needed

due to State of Idaho education funding cuts, combined with an effort to keep high quality staff, retain quality programs, and expand where need-ed (full-day kindergarten, grade level splits to cre-ate 4-5 Rendezvous Upper Elementary School) and further support quality education,” said Diane Temple, executive direc-tor of the Teton Valley Education Foundation, in an email.

In a worst-case scenario, if the levy vote, scheduled for March 12, should fail, the district could run it again during the pri-maries in May, try again in August and the general election in November. The school board would look at the margin of failure in any of those cases and make adjustments

no school levy=significant cuts across the board

TVN infographic/Amy Birch

supplemental levy meetings

Monday, Feb. 18, 7 p.m. at Tetonia Elementary

Monday, Feb. 25, 7 p.m., at the Teton School District Office boardroom, 445 N. Main, Driggs

Monday, March 4, 7 p.m. at Victor Elementary

School cuts continued on A12

Calling all foster parentsBridget RyderTVN staff

Adam Williamson wants Teton Valley to know, “We have a moral obligation to help the children in our community.”

Willimason, a counselor and men-tal health care pro-vider at Teton Valley Health Care, hopes to find more people in Teton Valley will-ing to take children in emergency situations into their homes.

He is co-hosting an informational ses-sion on foster parent-ing Thurs., Feb. 20 at the Old Courthouse in Driggs. The eve-ning will start with pizza at 6:30 p.m. and run until 8 p.m.

“For some reason, we just have very few resources in Teton Valley,” Kathy McDermott, child safety supervisor for the Idaho Department of Child Safety and Welfare Region 7, said.

Right now, Teton Valley has only one home certified to care for foster children, meaning there’s potential for Teton Valley kids to be sent to

other counties if a situation arises. The second foster home recently closed their certification after adopt-ing their foster child.

“It’s one of these things that when you need it, you need it,” Williamson said.

Not removing children from their community even when they leave their parents’ home keeps the kids

in their larger sup-port system, facili-tates case planning, and makes reuniting families easier, accord-ing to McDermott and Williamson.

Five children in Teton Valley have had to go into foster care in the last two-and-half years, McDermott said. The Fosters pro-vided a home for those children.

Lisa and Bob Foster took in their first foster children 10 years ago when the ex-girlfriend of Lisa Foster’s broth-er called her. Her two daughters, ages seven

and eight were about to fall into the custody of Child Safety and Welfare, but heir mother didn’t want them to end up in the home of strangers. The girls knew the Fosters as aunt and uncle even though there was no blood relation. The couple went

Bridget Ryder TVN staff

“As a Catholic, I didn’t even know the Pope could resign,” Melanie Rehberg said.

She and other Catholics reacted to Pope Benedict XVI’s announcement earlier in the week that he will resign from the papacy at the end of the month.

The congregation of Good Shepherd Catholic Church gathered on Tuesday night for the first time since Benedict XVI announcement. Father Camillo García presided over Mass in anticipation of Ash Wednesday at the almost-filled church, just south of Driggs.

García opened his homily by

addressing what was on everyone’s mind—the Pope’s resignation.

“It’s sad for us but we see it with the eyes of the gospel that Jesus Christ is our Good Shepherd,” the

Valley Catholics react to Pope’s announcement

Pope continued on A13

Fostering continued on A12

Informational meeting on becoming a foster parent

where: Old Court House, 89 N. Main Driggs

when: Thursday, Feb. 20 6:30-8p.m.

contact: Brittany Campbell at 354-8362 or Jen Franco (208) 699-8093

Pizza served at 6:30 p.m.

open doors for children

TVN Photo/Bridget Ryder

Father Camillo Garcia, pastor of Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Driggs, places ashes on the fore-head of one of his parishioners Tuesday night during a Mass in anticipation of Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday begins the Lent, forty days of preparation for Easter.


to the request as needed.Layoffs could begin if the levy fails

in March and in May, because by May and June “we’re making staffing deci-sions for the next school year, and there would be dramatic cuts in staffing and programs, but we’d still plan to run it again in August. But you’re already committed to contracts and staffing for the next school year.”Woolstenhulme said.

Those layoffs would be across the board. Classified support staff are paid hourly and would take the biggest cuts in a four-day week because of fewer bus runs and fewer meals to cook, for example, he said.

Woolstenhulme said the district spends about $41,000 a day to oper-ate on a five-day week. If everyone’s salary is reduced by one percent, that saves $41,000.

With five snow days built into its calendar, which adds more hours than the state requires, the district could eliminate those and meet the state mini-mum, saving $205,000.

“That’s an additional 2.5 percent salary reduction for all staff, because you’re shortening their contract by that much,” he said.

“There is no great solution to trim-ming a budget by 10 percent, and I expect that we will all feel the pinch next year,” said Dan Abraham, who teaches physics, environmental science, Earth systems science and advanced place-ment biology to juniors and seniors at Teton High School.

“Whether it be supplies, staff, per-sonnel, professional development, or extracurriculars, I think everyone in the district, including the students, will feel

the [effect] of such a big cut,” he said.Many of Abraham’s science classes

use one-time lab use equipment, mate-rials and supplies. Should cuts dig deep,

“I can expect to see a decrease in what I can complete in the laboratory, an increase in the size of lab groups, and will continue supplementing supplies out of my own pocket,” he said.

While no cuts have been determined as of yet on the local level, a 3 per-cent statewide school budget increase proposed by State Superintendent of Education Tom Luna may not go very far in meeting actual classroom needs.

For example, the increase includes helping fund school computer pro-grams to help manage student achieve-ment data.

“But they’re not fully funding teachers on the salary schedule,” Woolstenhulme said. “At the state level, they’re funding teachers at minus two years’experience.”

The TSD decided to continue to support and try to keep teachers retained in the district by making up the difference.

“Either school districts make up that difference to keep them at the level they are, or they cut the teacher by that two-year differential, following what the state is funding,” he said.

“When you dig in to the numbers, they want to pay for computer pro-grams but they don’t want to fund teachers fully on their salaries. I don’t understand that. That’s the core of what we do, is teachers in the classroom. To say a computer program is more impor-tant than funding a teacher’s salary, I strongly disagree with that.”

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Fostering continued from A1______________________________________________________________________________________________________

through a quick training and two days after the desperate phone call took in their first two foster children

The older of the two girls, Taisha, now 17, became a permanent member of the family when the Fosters adopted her, but the door to their home has remained open to other children in need.

“It’s rewarding,” Lisa Foster said.The Fosters have cared mostly for

teenagers, which means dealing with the tribulations of adolescence while accept-ing a person into their home who is accus-tomed to a different way of life. That is where Lisa Foster finds the joy. Most of their foster children come from difficult, dysfunctional situations. Life with the Fosters may be their first opportunity to see that “there’s a different way to live.” They also receive an affection they may have never known.

”You can show them affection, some don’t even know what affection is,” Lisa Foster said.

She takes things slowly, however.“Each kid is different,” she said, and it

takes time to learn the best way to show a new child that she cares for him or her.

To help with integration into the their home, Lisa Foster and her husband, Bob, start with a talk about the rules—the free-

doms and limitations in their home and, oh yes, you must keep your room clean.

“It lasts about two weeks,” Lisa Foster said, “and then their room is like any other teenagers’.”

The foster parents also introduce the new member to the rest of the family still living at home—13-year-old Dillon, 17-year-old-Taisha, and 17-year-old Sean. The Fosters have experience blending families. Both of them were married with their own children before meeting and marrying each other. Dillon is their bio-logical son. Taisha was their first foster child and is now their adopted daugh-ter. Sean is Lisa Foster’s biological son. Bob Foster’s two children both live in California.

The children in need arrive one or two at a time. They have never had to refuse any child and have had only one serious personality conflict. They occasionally host children from other counties who need a greater geographical separation from the parental home.

Becoming a foster parent requires a background check, a home inspection, references, medical references, and 27 hours of training. Rexburg currently offers the closest available training, but if Teton Valley garners enough interest, having the

training in the county is possible. The informational meeting will help determine the interest.

“We would really like to get people trained in Teton Valley,” Williamson said.

Growing the community resources benefits everyone.

TVN en EspañolWilliamson, un asesor y proveedor de aten-ción mental en Teton Valley Health Care, espera encontrar a más personas en Teton Valley dispuestos a llevar a los niños en situa-ciones de emergencia a sus hogares. Es co-anfitrión de una sesión informativa sobre padres de crianza que tendrá lugar el jueves, día 20 de febrero en el edificio de la antigua corte de Driggs. La velada comenzará con pizza a las 6:30 p.m. y correrá hasta las 8 p.m. En este momento, Teton Valley tiene un solo hogar certificado para cuidar a los niños de crianza, lo que significa que hay potencial de que niños de Teton Valley sean enviados a otro condado si surge una situación. Con-vertirse en un padre de crianza requiere una verificación de antecedentes, una inspección de la casa, referencias, referencias médicas, y 27 horas de entrenamiento. La sesión de información ayudará a determinar el interés.

Por: Luis F. Ortiz.

Above: Dan Abraham, center, teaches physics, environmen-tal science, Earth systems sci-ence and advanced placement biology to juniors and seniors at Teton High School. Here, he checks on the progress of a student experiment on photo-synthesis using colored filters, with Kody Hill, right, as Jacob Miskin prepares his project.

Left: Dan Abraham checks on the progress of a student experiment on photosynthesis using colored filters.

TVN Photos/Ken Levy


Washington$9,452 Montana

$10,497

Oregon$9,624 Wyoming

$15,169

Idaho$7,106

Utah$6,064

Nevada$8,483

California$9,375

Here’s how Idaho compares to

neighboring states in per student spending

2009-2010

TVN infographic/Amy BirchSource: U.S. Census Bureau

From Stateimpact.npr.org


tetonvalleynews.net

Weather ...................... A3

Letters ........................ A5

Valley Views ............... A5


Calendar ......................B8

Puzzle ..........................B5

Classifieds .................B13


Legals ........................B15

I n d e x

Property owners help shoulder shortfallPart three in a series on school funding

Ken LevyTVN Staff

How did we get to this place?When then-Governor Jim Risch

worked with the Idaho legislature to shift school-funding sources from property to sales taxes in 2006, “we were fuming mad about the whole deal,” said Doug Petersen, Teton School District board president.

That’s because sales taxes are an unsta-ble and unreliable funding source, espe-

cially in recessionary conditions. With less sales tax revenue came less fund-ing for schools, said Petersen. The difference has been made up since 2007 with supplemental levies “that put it back on property owners,” he said, to help keep current educational programs relatively intact.

As the current recession hit, and the economy went down, sales tax revenues went down and school fund-ing from the state dropped as well.

The state is not bringing in sales tax revenues as projected to pay for schools, said board member Nancy Arnold.

She urged voters to tell the legisla-ture to restore full funding to schools, and increase it, as the economy

old sHoes, rusted bottle caps, postcards and enve-lopes that would have gone straight from the mailbox to the trashcan are repurposed into art at a new display at The City Gallery. B11

Recaps Hats recycles old clothing into chic head pieces and is the latest business to set up shop in the Driggs Industrial Park. a14

InsIde

26 local stoRIes

newsTeTon Valley75¢Thursday, February 21, 2013 104Th ye ar 8Th Week


School funding continued on A12

why is school funding so uncertain?

Conservation enforcers bag poachers

A deal on spuds is not a good deal for farmers

One allegedly aims shotgun at officerKen LevyTVN Staff

A suspect in an alleged illegal duck hunting investigation reportedly pointed his shotgun at an officer citing him for the violation.

Lauren Wendt, senior conservation officer for the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, said she was on general patrol Nov. 16 when she came

upon signs of vehicles on private property near Nickerson Bridge on the Teton River.

Wendt said she called the property owner regarding wheth-er the owner had granted permis-sion to hunt there. When she was told no, she “hiked through the snow” to where she found two suspects who had been allegedly duck hunting on the private prop-

erty and who didn’t have permits for migratory bird hunting.

Suspect Seth T. Mills of Driggs allegedly point-ed his shotgun at her. At that point, said Wendt, she drew her weapon and commanded him to put down his gun, “which ultimately, he did.”

Wendt said she was prepared to shoot because she didn’t have any other options.

In addition to two other wildlife violations, Mills was charged by Teton County with exhibition or use of a deadly weapon, according to a release from the IDFG. Wendt said he is due for a May court appearance on the charges.

Conservation officers concluded an investiga-tion regarding the illegal taking of a mule deer buck from Teton Canyon. The IDFG release said

a Boone and Crockett scorer gave the buck a green score of 181 2/8 inches, well within measurements regarding the animal as a trophy.

Ben Brown of Tetonia was charged with illegal taking of a trophy animal and Jacob Knight of Park Valley, Utah, was also cited.

Wendt said Brown pleaded guilty Feb. 14 in Teton County and his fines, fees and restitution added up to $2,670. Brown also had his hunting privileges revoked for two years in 37 states, includ-ing Idaho, and received 30 days of jail suspended and two years’ probation.

The states, she said, are members of the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact. Illegal taking of trophy-class deer carries enhanced civil penalties, said Wendt.

Knight “was with Brown when Brown killed the deer and helped Brown transport and cut up the deer,” said Wendt. He was charged with unlawful

Poachers continued on A12Spuds continued on A12

Photo Courtesy Idaho Department of Fish and Game

Ben Brown of Tetonia pleaded guilty in Teton County to illegally taking a trophy mule deer buck in Teton Canyon.

wendt

Bridget RyderTVN staff

“Should be a real good buy,” Dennie Arnold, a potato grower in Felt said of spuds he had seen on display at Broulim’s supermarket in Driggs.

Prices on the pomme de terre have plummeted this year in the United States. To compensate, Teton Valley’s potato growers are getting their foot into international markets. Not all the varieties of seed potatoes grown in Teton Valley flourish in tropical climates, but surprisingly, some do.

Shipments of Teton seed potatoes have already reached the Congo, Thailand, and Nicaragua, accord-ing to Keith Esplin, who runs NuSeed, a coopera-tive based in Rexburg. This week more Teton seed potatoes will also start their journey to Brazil and Mauritius, an island off the east African coast near Madagascar. The new markets could be the future of American potato production.

“Seed growers can’t expand locally because potato production is about peaked out in the US,” Esplin said.

The demand for potatoes grew with the rise of French fries and potato chip consumption in the 1960s even through the 1990’s. However, the frozen and processed potato markets leveled off in recent years while potato yields increased. Farmers are producing more edible potatoes than ever from one Teton seed potato, further decreasing their demand.

“We’re too good of farmers,” Esplin said.American potato growers are out-pacing consump-

tion of the starchy vegetable. According to Arnold, growers planted approximately 40,000 to 60,000 acres too many of potatoes last year. The over-production and a bumper crop glutted the market and resulted in this year’s plunging prices.

Arnold said that the failure of the European potato crop combined with a weak American dollar saved American potato growers last year by allowing them

FInd out what’s in store for spring weather in Teton Valley B1


improves. The state may have to look at other means of funding to achieve this, she said.

But the district has been better off financially than many of the surrounding districts, said TSD Superintendent Monte Woolstenhulme.

Woolstenhulme, who has served the TSD about 3.5 years, said the district forestalled its present budget situ-ations with a combination of using the funding it had, drawing down its reserves and using local levies.

The latter is up for renewal at $3.1 million, up from $2.6 million in 2011, in front of voters March 12.

“We’ve been able to delay a lot of [budget-cutting decisions] 2-3 years later than most of the school districts in eastern Idaho have already had to do.”

The reality, said Woolstenhulme, “is that we can’t sustain it at that level without either dramatic cuts, dra-matically raising the levy or looking at other solutions.”

That meant discussions on where to tighten the budget, cuts and reductions.

“If we’d started more cuts sooner, we’d probably be in a different place than we are today, but we’d have started them 2-3 years ago,” Woolstenhulme said. “We’ve made less dramatic and painful cuts previous to now, reducing some positions, some operating budgets, but nothing to this extent based on where the budget is right now.”

The district probably won’t know what the state plans with its school funding until March, including whether it will fund education at last year’s level, Woolstenhulme said. The district could lose an additional $90,000 if the state approves eliminating personal property taxes in phases. The legislature is looking very closely at that possibility during the 2013 session.

Last year the district cut 11 paraprofessionals, 25 percent from its supply budget and 50 percent from equipment funding.

TSD records from its 2012-13 budget indicate local funds cover about $2,800 per child of the overall $7,059.83 the district funds per child.

According to the district’s Main Summary Points report on the budget, the increase in the supplemental levy request from $2.6 million to $3.1 million includes the board considering an estimate of $537,000 in cuts, along with $463,000 in increased revenue and a cushion of $37,000 to adjust for other cuts if needed, to meet an anticipated budget shortfall of about $1 million.

The board has not decided to make any of these cuts to these specific programs. According to the district Web site, tsd401.org, information was developed by the administrative team, with the following directives and assumptions:1. make the cuts as far from the classroom as possible2. focus on essentials and priorities, not just great programs

3. everything is open for consideration4. assume that state funding will be the same for next year5. assume student enrollment will be the same for next year6. prioritize by what benefits the most students, and what

is outside the classroom and regular school calendar7. hope for a balance of cuts and revenue, not just all cuts

Below are the proposed cuts for the 2013-14 school year. These are just a first run at solutions and the list is not all-inclusive, said Nola Bredal, board vice chairwoman, at the Feb. 11 board meeting.

“No matter what we cut we impact students’ academic lives,” she said. “It’s about academics, being ready to com-pete in a global economy with one million less dollars. I’m not sure how we’re going to do that.”

• Eliminate Summer School: $45,000• Reduce Extracurricular activities: $10,000• Eliminate Yellowstone program: $23,000• Eliminate field trips: $10,000• Eliminate winter sports: $3,000• Reduce substitutes: $5,000• Reduce classroom supply budgets: $5,000• Eliminate the half-day Kindergarten bus: $5,000• Reduce Kindergarten to half day or consider fee

for full day: $100,000

• Eliminate five snow days: $205,000• Eliminate one paraprofessional position per build-

ing: $126,000Previous district cuts include 25 percent to supply

budgets; 50 percent to equipment budgets, 10 percent in extracurricular activities including coaching posi-tions and additional games, and one part-time teacher. Considerations continue on where to find cost savings.

The district will also realize an $800,000 savings over 20 years due to bond refinancing.

Supplemental levies require a majority of 50.1 percent of the vote to pass.

TVN en EspañolEl distrito escolar de Teton falta fondos para seguir finan-ciando todos los programas. El superintendente del distrito, Monte Woohlstenulme, y los socios del la junta del distrito puso la culpa en las decisiones del gobierno estatal de Idaho. En 2006, Idaho cambio los impuestos que financian las escuelas de impuestos sobre la propiedad a impuestos sobre la venta, según Doug Peterson, el presidente de la junta. El problema es que los impuestos sobre la venta no son fuentes estables de financiación y en 2008 la economía entreo en recesión. Desde 2007 el distrito has recuperado los fondos perdidos por un por un exacción fiscal sobre propiedad específicamente para el distrito escolar. En esta manera los impuestos sobre propiedad siguen financiar la educación. Renovar la exacción fiscal para las escuelas se pondrá antes los votantes en Marzo.

School funding continued from A1_ __________________

Poachers continued from A1________________________

TVN infographic/Amy Birch, Source: U.S. Census Bureau, From Stateimpact.npr.org

Note: The budgets for ‘09-10 and ‘10-11 include temporary federal funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

‘10-’11‘09-’10‘06-’07 ‘07-’08 ‘08-’09 ‘11-’12 ‘12-’13

$1 million

$2 million

$3 million

$4 million

$5 million

$6 million

$7 million

$8 million

$9 million

$10 million

$11 million

$12 million

$13 million

Teton School District General Fund budgets

$8,627,053

$11,465,856$11,967,195

$12,574,162$12,857,838

$12,771,867

$10,775,984

Supplemental levy meetings

Monday, Feb. 25, 7 p.m., at the Teton School District Office board-room, 445 N. Main, Driggs


to sell to the markets of the old world. To more permanently address the prob-

lem of the limited American market, local growers hope to penetrate other international markets. Esplin and Jeremy Arnold, Dennie Arnold’s son, visited Mauritius and Nicaragua in December. In Mauritius, Jeremy Arnold and Esplin met with the US Ambassador on the island and toured the local potato farms. They also took orders for seed potatoes. In March, Jeremy Arnold is making a sales call in Thailand. When he returns, the Arnold farm will be preparing to plant its first rows of seed potatoes for Mauritius and the other new international markets.

According to Esplin, rapid development in Brazil and Thailand opened up the countries to American potato farmers. As they move up the development and industrialization ladder, the Thailandese are eating more and more potato chips and need the raw potatoes to keep up with demand. The country mostly imports from Europe and Canada right now Esplin said, but the United States is better situated with shipping routes to supply Thailand with spuds. The Asian market is the easiest of the international markets for Teton Valley to send its products to, partly because already high traffic to the region makes ocean containers more readily available.

In the Congo, however, the fruit of Teton seed potatoes will improve the country’s basic food supply. William Pruznesky, the execu-tive director of The International Partnership for Human Development, an NGO based in Virginia, said the organization has been feed-ing school children in the Congo for years with potato flakes and other staples from the United States Department of Agriculture.

IPHD works with the USDA’s international aid programs. The few real potatoes that enter the country came mostly from Europe, he said. Now the government has turned about six abandoned farms over to the IPHD and wants to start the country’s own potato crop. He also connected with Esplin who made the arrangements to get Teton seed potatoes to the African country.

Individually, the international markets are small, Esplin said, but together they add up to significant sales prospects for local farm-ers. Diversifying their markets will also make growers less dependant on the ups and downs of the local economy.

Despite the flat line in demand, potato prices were good in recent years inspiring farmers to plant more acres in potatoes instead of diversifying their crops into alfalfa or other cereals, Fred Dormeyer, Teton Seed Marketing Association, said.

“The best cure for good prices are good prices,” according to Ben Eborn, Extension Agent at the University of Idaho Extension Office in Driggs said.

The recent price drop proved the adage true. Prices are 50 to 60 percent off from what they were last year, according to Dormeyer. Instead of selling for $12 to $14 a hundredweight, seed potatoes are going for $7.50 to $9.50. Fresh potatoes, which have typically sold for $6.50 to $9 a hundredweight, can hardly bring in $3 a hundredweight this year. It costs more to produce potatoes right now than farmers will get for them at market.

But growers in Teton Valley have the hope that the force of the international economy will boost potato prices in the near future.

possession of wildlife. His fines and fees totaled $2,667.50, no license revocation, jail time or probation, she said.

The mule deer was killed on the Brown property on the north end of the county along the rim of Teton River Canyon, said Wendt.

In a separate incident, James D. Fullmer of Tetonia reportedly told conservation officers he had taken a gray wolf near Squirrel Creek in Fremont County without a tag.

“But, he didn’t admit to break-ing the law,” said Fullmer’s defense attorney, Faren Eddins.

Wendt said he was charged with two trapping violations, hunting without the tag and unlawful pos-session of a wolf carcass.

His case is due to be heard in Fremont County. Wendt said he faces misdemeanor charges on each count and a $400 civil penalty for possessing the wolf carcass.

Wendt said an infraction citation was recently issued to a dog owner whose animal was tracking wildlife. She said those who recreate with their dogs should keep them under control, and residents should be aware that winter trail and forest access closures sometimes include all entry, motorized or otherwise.

Other recently-reported inci-dents include snow machine opera-tors chasing deer. Otherwise, things have been “pretty quiet” regarding wildlife in the region. There have been good snow conditions for ani-mals, she said, with deer hanging

around Driggs and elk spotted near the transfer station.

There have been incidents of feed deprivation, and IDFG loans panels to ranchers to cover up their hay, said Wendt.

Those with concerns regard-ing poaching should contact the Citizens Against Poaching Hotline at 1-800-632-5999.TVN en EspañolUn sospechoso en una investigación de una supuesta caza de pato ilegal apuntó su escopeta al oficial de minis-terio de caza y pesca de Idaho que lo denunció por la violación. Lauren Wendt, un oficial de conservación del Departamento de pesca y caza de Idaho, dijo que estaba patrullando el día 16 de noviembre cuando se encontró con señales de vehículos en propiedad privada cerca del Puente de Nickerson sobre el río Teton. Wendt dijo que llamó al propietario y le habló acerca de si el dueño había concedido permiso de cazar allí. Cuando le dijo que no, Wendt “ caminó a través de la nieve” hasta donde se encontró con dos sospechosos que habían estado supuestamente cazando patos en la propiedad privada y quienes no tenían permisos para la caza del aves migratorias. El sopechoso, Seth T. Mills de Driggs, presuntamente apuntó su escopeta a Wendt. En ese momento, dijo Wendt, ella mostró su arma y le mandó bajar su escopeta, “que en última instancia hizo.” Wendt dijo que estaba dispuesta a disparar porque no tenía ninguna otra opcion.

Spuds continued from A1_____________________________________________

104 YEARS TeTon Valley news - February 28, 2013 - Page a1AdAptive skiing is less about the sport and more about energizing the athletes who participate in this unique camp. B14-15

LocALs rAce and raise funds for TVTAP at Alta Vista Freestyle. See results B12.

pLAstics Teton Valley Community Recycling will screen the documentary

“Bag It!” on Friday.

inside

25LocAL

stories

newsTeTon Valley75¢Thursday, February 28, 2013 104Th ye ar 9Th Week


Ken LevyTVN StaffPart four in a series on school funding

Six Teton High School stu-dents shared their thoughts on the school’s extracurricular activ-ities and potential for at least some of those to be cut in 2014 due to budget constraints. Students who participated in the informal roundtable Feb. 22 include:• Jason Clark, 17, a senior at THS, from

Victor• Edna Diaz, 15, a THS sophomore

from Driggs• Parker Johnston, 18, a senior who lives

in Victor• Sam Matelich, 18, also a senior, from

Tetonia• Mike Parri, 17, a senior from Victor• Megan Sanabia, 18, a THS senior

from Driggs

Although all but Diaz are seniors, and budget cuts, if they come, won’t take effect until after they graduate, “the things I liked the most about the school are the extracurriculars they’re thinking about cutting,” said Parri. “I feel like that’s an important part of just getting through school and making those connections you can’t get just in the classroom,

and learning how to socialize beyond a learning environment.”

But Matelich said he thinks of school more on the academic side.

“I’ve actually looked at how much this would cut. It’s a little over 3 percent of our current extracurricular budget,” Matelich said. “The way I see it, that’s not a huge deal if it’s going to help us survive, if it’s going to help us get through with a better educa-tion for the following years. It’s worth it.”

But, said Johnston, for many students,

Students sound off onextracurricular cuts


tetonvALLeynews.net

Weather ...................... A3

Letters ........................ A5

Valley Views ............... A5


Calendar ....................B10

Puzzle ..........................B7

Classifieds .................B16


Legals ........................B18

i n d e x

supplemental levy meeting


From left: MegAn sAnABiA, 18,

of Driggs, is a Teton High School senior. She’s done

cross country, track, choir, band, and participates in high

school rodeo.

ednA diAz, 15, a sophomore from Driggs, has been a Teton

cheerleader since she was in seventh grade, including Redskins varsity cheerleader for the past two years. Diaz is also in the THS Ambiance Choir, and is a member of the Latino Club.

JAson cLArk, 17, a senior at THS, is from Victor. Clark played

basketball all four years and is a National Honor Society mem-

ber. He’s a huge supporter of THS programs as a specta-

tor including volleyball, footbal, baseball

games and music.

Mike pArri, 17, a THS senior, is from Victor. Parri did cross-country and is soccer cap-tain He’s participated in Quiz Bowl, track, music and belongs to the NHS.

sAM MAteLich, 18, of Tetonia, is a senior at THS. Matelich par-ticipated in debate and has been in Quiz Bowl, “which is like my favorite thing I’ve ever done.” He was also in the THS Business Professionals of America program.

pArker Johnston, 18, is a senior at THS, also from Victor. Johnston was in debate for 2.5 years and was captain of the team last year. He’s done Quiz Bowl for two years, has been in the music depart-ment and did a year of Yearbook.

Meet the pAneL

Dewey a state champ

teton county mulls layoffs

Jesse Dewey of Teton throws Porter Thomas of Snake River in their semi-final match at the 195 lbs. class Friday afternoon at the Holt Arena in Pocatello. Dewey won the match and went on to claim the state championship in his weight class in the 3A division. see story page A12

Doug Lindley/Idaho State Journal

Bridget Ryder TVN staff

What was scheduled as a work meeting between the Board of County Commisiners and Angie Rutherford, county planning administrator and Curt Moore, county planner, turned into Chairman Kelly Park and Commissioner Sid Kunz asking the two county employees if they have enough work to justify their positions.

“I think we’re definitely going to have to look at some layoffs,” Park said Monday.

“There are eight houses being built right now. Are we over-staffed?”

“Have you looked at the budget?” Commissioner Kathy Rinaldi asked.

She estimated that the department’s budget was a third of past fiscal allotments and that it had fewer staff mem-bers. She objected to shrinking the department.

“Planning is where every-thing starts in the county,” she

said. She also acknowledged

that there are people in Teton County opposed to planning.

Parks said that he relied heavily on his experience as a small business owner and com-parisons with other counties such as Fremont. He has had to let go of his eight employees since the bust and wondered,

“if other counties are doing more with less.”

“I think we have to look at us,” Rinaldi said.

Park said he was not try-ing to pick on the Planning and Zoning Department. He would be looking at layoffs in all departments, they just hap-pened to be the first depart-ment to be examined.

Rutherford and Moore said they had plenty to do.

“I have not worked a 40-hour week,” Rutherford said.

She usually works more, she clarified.

“There’s long range projects

Layoffs continued on A12

Students continued on A13


Photos courtesy Megan Bybee

Fifth grade students in Rendezvous Upper Elementary School trek into the woods in Granite Canyon with Teton Science School lead-ers to study tree and plant communities and winter wildlife habitat.

Ken LevyTVN Staff

Fifth graders at Rendezvous Upper Elementary School are getting a taste of practical, hands-on experience through extracur-ricular field experiences in either Expedition Yellowstone or excur-sions with the Teton Science School.

The latter brought a class of fifth graders together with lead-ers from the TSS at the school’s Kelly Campus in Jackson Feb. 4-8 for classes and first-hand experiences exploring the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, said Megan Bybee, RUES principal.

Students did their exploring in Coyote Canyon, Blacktail Butte and Granite Canyon and stayed in dorms at the TSS campus.

Among their training, youngsters explored the plant communities of aspen, pine, alpine sage and riparian and how they interact.

Bybee said the students used science projects and hypotheses to determine how snowpack depth differs in each community, such as pine versus aspen. Those projects included digging pits to measure for depth and why the snow was as deep as it was in each.

For instance, snow could be shallower in the tree communities, but also could be shallow in the sagebrush since there is nothing to block wind.

Students also learned about how animal communi-ties adapt to the often-harsh winter conditions in the GYE. They studied tracks, scat and other evidence of what animals need to survive, including, for example, how hoofs help elk and deer dig into and under the snow for food.

They studied geology, including glacial features, and weather.

Both Expedition Yellowstone and the TSS program help meet Common Core State Standards of education in Idaho, which, among other things, require more practical applications of knowledge in real life settings, Bybee said.

Both programs focus on writing and emphasize the scientific process, she said. Students question, observe, collect and interpret data, develop charts and graphs to see trends in their research, practice critical thinking and apply the knowledge they’ve gained from the experience to predict, assume and refute data.

Kids also get lessons in responsibility. In the TSS program, even though food is served in a cafeteria for-mat, youngsters are responsible for preparation, serv-ing, cleaning and dishwashing. In both, they take on responsibility for themselves, being away from home and making sure they’re prepared for the day.

That responsibility also includes taking ownership of the program by helping with fundraising. In this case, that means the upcoming Day of Reading with an as-yet-unnamed author and a writer’s workshop March 4.

Students also fundraise with a Read-a-thon, where they get pledges of donations per page read or get a flat donation from family and friends.

This year’s program was offered at no charge to families, Bybee said. The future of the program could be in trouble, since extracurricular activities are among those being considered for budget cuts.

The Teton Valley Education Foundation and PTO help support the programs as well.

Rather than see the programs cut entirely, “just cut district support and let us fundraise more,” said Bybee.

Expedition Yellowstone, Teton Science School take students afield

Bybee

participating in extracurricu-lar activities is their motiva-tion for going to school.

“If we take away those, it kind of takes away the incen-tive [for those students] to come to school,” he said.

Diaz said “it’s not a good idea” to cut athletic programs because those are key motiva-tions to keep her grades up. Good grades are a prerequi-site to participating in extra-curricular activities, she said.

For Matelich, the big pic-ture of the potential 3 percent cut is that changes may not even be visible. With that reduction across the extra-curricular board, “we might see a [few] dollars in each program go.”

For others, it’s a matter of prioritizing. For example, Johnston said he doesn’t see the necessity of the band going to Denver or Salt Lake City, “driving five hours, renting a shuttle bus.”

Diaz, who sings in the Ambiance Choir, said that while going to music workshops is a good way to meet people by traveling to other schools, the district should consider cutting those if they get too costly.

Although music is very important to her — she wants to enroll in a performing arts college in New York — she believes those workshops should be cut before other academic programs.

“But don’t cut [music] classes,” she said.

Athletics should have precedence in being saved, Johnston said. But Matelich said he’d rather see the cuts in athletics before any cuts might come into academics. He rues the possibility of cuts to the Quiz Bowl.

Academic extracurricu-lar programs are “already running on pretty little compared to the athletic,” Matelich said.

“Just the presence of an athletic event strengthens bonds between students and community,” Johnston argued. “That’s beneficial in the long run.”

Clark said he’d much rather see cuts in extracurricular activities than academics, but agreed that extracur-riculars are a “huge part of developing social skills and responsibility.”

Clark played basketball all four years and is a member of the National Honor Society. He’s also a huge supporter of THS programs as a spectator including volleyball, football and baseball games and watching and listening to musical performances.

Sanabia said she’s seen her younger brother “really progress as a person and step out there with his sports teams, and that’s really made him friends and really matured him. I’d hate to see kids not be able to do that.”

Potential cuts in winter sports “are just

pocket change in the grand scheme of things,” said Johnston. “It’s only $3,000 out of a half million cut we’re going to have to make.”

“Eventually, though, it does add up,” said Parri.

Matelich indicated winter sports aren’t as popular as others, especially in the senior class.

“If it’s a program that kids aren’t utilizing and it’s not popular, then $3,000 out-weighs the program itself,” he said.

“Winter sports take away from academics,” said Johnston. “It cuts the day in half that we could be devot-ing to school.”

If class times are cut because of winter sports, “we don’t get through a lot, and a lot of times you feel like nothing gets done,” said Matelich.

Johnston said in the mid-dle school, winter sports cut class times to 20 minutes or so, and a lot of classes are a lot less productive than they could be.

Sanabia said she has won-derful memories about par-ticipating in programs in elementary and middle school and would rather see cuts at the High School go toward those programs.

A lot of kids get scholarships to go to

college for their sports ability, said Sanabia, and “it’s important that we can really help them get [those] with our teams.”

Diaz agreed. Some students, she said, take athletics more seriously than their edu-cation, while the opposite is true for others.

“I’d much rather see tightening in every budget, just a few dollars, than see anything

cut,” said Parri, “because I know every program has influenced and positively affected some students, at least one.”

TVN en EspañolLos estudiantes dejan oír su voz acerca de los cortes en actividades extracurriculares. Seis estudiantes compartieron sus opiniones acerca de los recortes presupuestos para el año 2014. Para algunos estu-diantes, la participación en actividades extracurriculares es una forma de motivación para la asistencia de algunos estudiantes mientras que para otros es una perdida de tiem-po, como Winter Sports, aun-que solo cuesta $3000 y es una cantidad pequeña comparada con otras actividades.

Sam Matelich dijo, “Si nos va a ayudar a salir adelante y seguir obteniendo la educación que

ahora recibimos, vale la pena.”

Por: Arely Baez & Andy Bocardo

Students continued from A1__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Just the presence of an athletic

event strengthens bonds between

students and community. That’s beneficial in the

long run.______________

Parker Johnston

I’d much rather see tightening in

every budget, just a few dollars, than see anything cut, because I know every program

has influenced and positively affected some students, at

least one.______________

Mike Parri

Ken LevyTVN Staff

No new programs will be developed at the Teton School District should voters reauthorize a two-year levy that has grown by a half-million dollars.

Parents and others questioned TSD officials Monday why it created full-day kindergarten and developed Rendezvous Upper Middle School following the suc-cessful 2011 renewal of a then $2.6 million supplemental levy.

Aaron Driggs said the district got full-day kindergarten and RUES after voters were told the 2011 levy renewal was needed just to maintain the status quo.

The state, he said, didn’t end up cut-ting as much as anticipated from the TSD budget.

Driggs said he’d be willing to pay for an accountant, or work with the district himself, to figure the numbers more solidly than

“’we need this amount, we think.’”Monte Woolstenhulme, TSD superin-

tendent, said figuring the next district bud-get is based on best available data without hard numbers and “feels like [being] on quicksand.”

That’s because the district doesn’t yet know what state funding will be, whether eliminating the personal property tax for business will pass the legislature, whether the federal government will go into seques-tration, or what district enrollment will be during the upcoming fiscal year.

He welcomed Driggs or anyone else who may have ideas on how to deal with the shortfall to speak with him or Kimber

Lundquist, TSD business manager.Full-day kindergarten was already under

consideration before the levy renewal came up, said Woolstenhulme, and was extremely popular with parents.

The creation of RUES was driven by the need to consolidate and better use exist-ing buildings. Overcrowding at Victor Elementary School helped drive that effort, he said. The discussion and usage of school facilities was ongoing through the 2010-11 school year, and reviewed at most of the board meetings.

This year’s renewal request, at $3.1 mil-lion, is being sought because the district has drawn down its reserves, and used previous levy funds, to keep staff, salaries and pro-grams intact, said Woolstenhulme.

With district reserves approaching less

than a month’s worth of backup funding, and the potential of a $90,000 loss in revenue if the state passes revocation of the personal property tax for businesses, the district still faces more than $500,000 in cuts even if the levy passes voter muster March 12.

Woolstenhulme, in an email, said the supplemental levy request is about $1 mil-lion less than if the state had left school funding based on local, automatic mill levies. The state, in 2006, transferred funding to sales tax under then-Governor Jim Risch, he said.

“Property taxes are not fair,” said Woolstenhulme, at Monday’s informational meeting regarding the supplemental levy renewal. He indicated property owners with renters would probably increase rents to pick up the difference, “not just eat it.”

District: Nothing new planned for use of levy funds

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