Pocatello/Chubbuck School District 25

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Pocatello/Chubbuck School District 25
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History of the Area

• Shoshone and Bannock tribes inhabited the area
• 1805 Lewis and Clark travel through state
• Fur trader and trappers inhabit area
• 1834 Hudson Bay Company sets up first permanent
  settlement
• Fort Hall is supply point along Oregon Trail
• 1860 discovery of gold
• 1882 Chief Pocatello grants the railroad
  right-of-way through Fort Hall Indian Reservation
  (Greater Pocatello Chamber of Commerce)

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Pocatello and Chubbuck Today

• 92 white
• Largest minorities are Hispanic and
  American Indian at 5 and 1.5

• Pocatello population- 53,372
• Chubbuck population- 10,707 (US Census Bureau)
• Both cities have a strong Mayor/ Council form of
  government
• Top employers include
• ISU, School District 25, Portneuf Medical Center,
  AMI Semiconductor, and UP Railroad (Greater
  Pocatello Chamber of Commerce)

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Pocatello and Chubbuck Today cont.
Pocatello Chubbuck
High school grad or above 88.7 84.8
Bachelors or above 27.9 18.1
Median household income 34,326 41,688
Individuals below poverty line 15.4 12.0
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A Far Cry from Athens
Athens Pocatello/ Chubbuck
Decisions go before demos Decisions made by council
Boule members represent demes Council members represent entire city
50 boule members 6 council members

• Voting age population of both municipalities
  44,183
• Voting citizenry of Athens in 4th century BCE
  about 40,000
• Same number of eligible voters but very different
  levels of participation

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Not too close to Saratoga Springs
Saratoga Springs Pocatello/ Chubbuck
5 members head separate departments 6 council members, 1 mayor
Department heads elected Department heads selected by major, approved by council
Decisions made by the department heads Decisions made by council
Department heads elected at large Council members elected at large
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School District 25

• Encompasses both Pocatello and Chubbuck
• 14,000 students
• 1,700 employees
• 15 elementary schools, 3 junior highs, 2
  alternative schools, 3 high schools
• Also operates Teen Parent Program, and an Evening
  High School (Greater Pocatello Chamber of
  Commerce)

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School District 25

• Governed by Board of Trustees
• Elected from zones to represent zones interests
• Elected to two year terms
• Unlimited reelection
• Decisions made by majority vote
• Board selects superintendent

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Responsibilities of Board

• Set forth by the members of State House and
  Senate in the Idaho Code and include
• Setting and amending district policy
• Determining long range direction of the district
• Acting on recommendations on a variety of maters
  (from personnel to building maintenance)
• Adopting an operating budget
• Authorizing the spending of budgeted funds
• Employing and evaluating the superintendent
  (Idaho Code Section 33-501)

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Budget for School District 25

• Operated on a budget of over 66 million
• Receives funds from federal, state, and local
  sources
• 1. state funding 70.7
• 2. local funding 21.9
• 3. beginning balance 6.7
• 4. federal funding 0.6 (Annual Budget 2006-2007)

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Inherent flaw in the system

• State Senate and House set maximum tax rate for
  the School Board
• School Board does not have authority to
  appropriate funds above Idaho Code allowances
• Bryan says that for the survival of democracy the
  government must have some complete authority
• The Board of Trustees does not have complete
  authority over the budget
• The budget is the most important aspect of
  government
• The district needs control over it to be effective

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Labor Struggle Recap of Events

• 700 teachers and staff petition board to mediate
• Board rejects and hires fact finder
• Teachers threaten to strike
• Fact finder recommends 1 raise, one time 2
  bonus and early retirement benefit (Eike)

• Fall 2005- Teachers ask for 1 raise and
  previously promised early retirement benefit
• Board rejects
• Teacher believe board failed to give accurate
  accounting of budget
• They ask for 3 pay increase and the early
  retirement benefit
• Board ends negotiation

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Labor Struggle cont.

• 7 months into school year teachers settle
  contract
• School board promises to enact measures to
  prevent such a process in the future (Ziegler)

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Why School Board is Ineffective

• School Board is held responsible for the
  condition of the district but it cant control
  budget
• Trustees must petition Idaho legislators to
  increase money allotted to district (Ziegler)
• District faces decline in state revenue
• Decline in student enrollment over past 11 years
• Opening of charter school
• Cap on state property tax replacement monies
• Increase in fixed costs (Dutton)

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Works Cited

• Board of Trustee Responsibilities,
  http//www.d25.k12.id.us/aboutus/link.shtml?board/
  board.htm (November 2006).
• D. Boyd, A new beginning District 25, teachers
  reach deal, http//www.journalnet.com/articles/20
  06/11/14/news/local/news02.txt..txt (November
  2006).
• E. Ziegler, District 25, resumes contract
  talks, http//www.idahostatejournal.com/articles/
  2005/09/15/news/local/news03.txt (November 2006).
  
• E. Ziegler, District 25 trustee OK contract with
  teachers, http//www.journalnet.com/articles/2006
  /04/12/news/local/news03.txt (November 2006).
• F.J. Parrish, A modest proposal for supporting
  our teachers, http//www.pocatelloshops.com/blogs
  /Journal_Opinion.php?id216 (November 2006).
• Greater Pocatello Chamber of Commerce. Education,
  http//www.pocatelloidaho.com/Areainfo.asp?ID23
  (December 2006).
• History, http//www.villageprofile.com/idaho/pocat
  ello103.main.html (December 2006).

• Pocatello / Chubbuck School District 25 Annual
  Budget 2006-2007, http//web1.d25.k12.id.us/home/b
  o/BUDGET2007.PDF (November 2006).
• Pocatello / Chubbuck School District 25 Board of
  Trustees Operating Principals, http//www.d25.k12.
  id.us/aboutus/operating_principles.pdf (November
  2006).
• Pocatello / Chubbuck School District Strategic
  Plan, http//www.d25.k12.id.us/aboutus/strategic.p
  df (November 2006).
• R.E, Dutton, Fact Finders Findings and
  Recommendations, http//web1.d25.k12.id.us/home/bo
  /CAFR2006.pdf (November 2006).
• R. Eike, School Board needs to stop digging
  holes, http//www.pocatelloshops.com/blogs/Journa
  l_Opinion.php?id279 (November 2006).
• School District No. 25 Board of Trustee Meeting
  Schedule 2006-2007, http//www.d25.k12.id.us/about
  us/link.shtml?board/board.htm (November 2006).
• Trustee Zones, http//www.d25.k12.id.us/aboutus/li
  nk.shtml?board/board.htm (November 2006).