Emma Epperly, Idaho Ed News

2026 Republican primary election for North Idaho Senate seat pits state Sen. Dan Foreman against state Rep. Lori McCann

Dozens of Lakeland community members, including three former superintendents, asked Lakeland trustees to return Superintendent Rusty Taylor to his position or resign at a board meeting Wednesday night.

Public school trustees’ opposition to public funds going to private schools was front and center Friday on the final day of the Idaho School Boards Association’s annual meeting

Idaho voters will see evidence of the growing special education funding gap on their ballots next month, as seven school districts seek more than $3.3 million in supplemental levy funds to pay for special education.

Pay, politics and an increased workload are among the reasons educators increasingly opt not to pursue superintendent jobs.

Lakeland’s board of trustees hired Rusty Taylor, the superintendent at Naco Elementary School District in Arizona, Wednesday evening.

In pre-election presentations, Lakeland officials aren't dwelling on what's at stake if their levy fails: jobs, sports, school safety and a variety of academic programs.

The Calder School serves nine children, who act more like siblings than classmates. The Avery School District, where Calder is the only school, is the smallest district in North Idaho, one of the smallest in the state and has a budget of under $1 million.

“Idaho does not regulate homeschooling so we’ve become a hub for that,” Superintendent Jan Bayer said. “And a group that just doesn’t want to pay taxes no matter what.”