Pocatello/Chubbuck School
District 25
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)
Pocatello and Chubbuck Today
• Pocatello population53,372
• Chubbuck population10,707 (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)
•92% white
•Largest minorities are
Hispanic and
American Indian at 5%
and 1.5%
Pocatello and Chubbuck Today cont.
Pocatello
88.7%
Chubbuck
84.8%
Bachelor’s or
above
27.9%
18.1%
Median
household
income
Individuals
below poverty
line
$34,326
$41,688
15.4%
12.0%
High school
grad or above
A Far Cry from Athens
• 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
Athens
Pocatello/
Chubbuck
Decisions
go before
demos
Boule
members
represent
demes
50 boule
members
Decisions
made by
council
Council
members
represent
entire city
6 council
members
Not too close to Saratoga Springs
Saratoga Springs
5 members head
separate departments
Department heads
elected
Pocatello/ Chubbuck
6 council members, 1
mayor
Department heads
selected by major,
approved by council
Decisions made by
Decisions made by
the department heads council
Department heads
Council members
elected at large
elected at large
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)
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
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)
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 20062007)
1st Qtr
3rd Qtr
2nd Qtr
4th Qtr
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
Labor Struggle: Recap of Events
• 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
• 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)
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)
Why School Board is Ineffective
• School Board is held responsible for the
condition of the district but it can’t 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)
Works Cited
•
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Board of Trustee Responsibilities,
http://www.d25.k12.id.us/aboutus/link.shtml?b
oard/board.htm (November 2006).
D. Boyd, “A new beginning District 25, teachers
reach deal”,
http://www.journalnet.com/articles/2006/11/14
/news/local/news02.txt..txt (November 2006).
E. Ziegler, “District 25, resumes contract talks”,
http://www.idahostatejournal.com/articles/200
5/09/15/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?id=216 (November 2006).
Greater Pocatello Chamber of Commerce.
Education,
http://www.pocatelloidaho.com/Areainfo.asp
?ID=23 (December 2006).
History,
http://www.villageprofile.com/idaho/pocatello
103.main.html (December 2006).
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Pocatello / Chubbuck School District 25 Annual
Budget 2006-2007,
http://web1.d25.k12.id.us/home/bo/BUDGET20
07.PDF (November 2006).
Pocatello / Chubbuck School District 25 Board
of Trustees Operating Principals,
http://www.d25.k12.id.us/aboutus/operating_p
rinciples.pdf (November 2006).
Pocatello / Chubbuck School District Strategic
Plan,
http://www.d25.k12.id.us/aboutus/strategic.pd
f (November 2006).
R.E, Dutton, Fact Finder’s 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/Journal
_Opinion.php?id=279 (November 2006).
School District No. 25 Board of Trustee Meeting
Schedule 2006-2007,
http://www.d25.k12.id.us/aboutus/link.shtml?b
oard/board.htm (November 2006).
Trustee Zones,
http://www.d25.k12.id.us/aboutus/link.shtml?b
oard/board.htm (November 2006).