By Jeff Simmons, IDLA Superintendent
During the legislative session each year, getting caught up in the negative is easy. We quickly spotlight issues that are not resolved or not resolved to the preference of some. However, with the negatives in each session, there are also positives, and many positives are drowned out in each session by the noise focused on the negative.
At IDLA, we are grateful for the work of our legislators this year. House Bill 452 (H452) has updated the formula which calculates IDLA’s funding each year. I used a previous blog to outline the benefits of this new funding formula. Beginning with the next fiscal year and for each year into the future, IDLA will have a stable, consistent funding model. This model allows IDLA to respond to the needs of families, schools, and communities each year by funding each student served. Whether that number increases or decreases, our funding model will support our ability to provide a quality experience to each student with a need each year.
We are also grateful for the passage of House Bill 749 (H749), part of which carried the budget increase for IDLA in Fiscal Year 2025. As of the writing of this blog, H749 has passed both houses of the legislature and is only pending approval by the Governor. H749 carries the dollars calculated by H452 that IDLA will utilize to serve students in the 24-25 academic year.
As the Superintendent of IDLA, I often say, “We do nothing at IDLA outside of a partnership.” This is a true statement, and we include our state legislature and elected officials as some of our partners. We cannot serve students without the support of our legislature, and we are grateful for the support we have received this year!
