The Superintendent of the Idaho Department of Education, Debbie Critchfield, is rebuffing a request by the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee (JFAC) to plan for additional budget cuts of 1-2%. To begin tackling a state defic it estimated at roughly $80 million in 2026, Gov. Brad Little previously ordered all state agencies except for the Department of Education to cut their total budgets by 3%.Critchfield responded to the JFAC request by stating in a letter, "I will not be recommending further cuts to the public schools budget for FY 2026 or FY 2027."RELATED | Finance Appropriations Co-Chair claims Governor's budget does not balanceIn her letter, Critchfield explains that the Idaho Department of Education has repeatedly revised its budget to accommodate inflation, diminished enrollment numbers, and a state budget deficit. She goes on to cite a $50 million reduction in the department's request for special education as one of the more significant budget reductions in recent memory. "Whether we are talking about the biggest district in the Treasure Valley or the one-room schoolhouse in Lowman, schools are deeply woven into the fabric of Idaho communities. When funding is cut too deeply or carelessly, student opportunities shrink, programs disappear, and costs shift to local taxpayers." - Debbie Critchfield, Superintendent of Instruction, Idaho Department of EducationCritchfield further explains that the current budget gap regarding available resources and student needs is estimated at $100 million.Any further cuts, she says, would cause "disproportionate harm to rural students" while also acknowledging the precarious legal nature of the proposed cuts. "We have serious concerns about the legal risks for unmet needs with students in special education as well," added Critchfield.The State Superintendent concludes by reminding lawmakers that education funding is a long-term investment in Idaho's prosperity. "Idahos future workforce, economy, and communities depend on the strength of our public schools today."READ THE FULL LETTER BELOW: Mr. Bybee (on behalf of JFAC Co-Chairs),As Superintendent of Public Instruction, I have the responsibility to submit a K12 budget request that meets the needs of our students and the expectations of our parents. Legislators have a responsibility to pass a balanced budget while upholding their obligation to fund public education. I followed the statutory budget process and submitted our initial K-12 request in late August. We then worked closely with the Governors Office and adjusted our budget request when revenue projections were lowered. In December, I submitted a revised public schools budget for FY 2026 and FY 2027 that included reductions. Those revisions were significant. We reduced our request by $50 million for special education. We cut that despite the growing financial pressure on local districts and charters to provide federally required services for our highest-need students. The funding gap between student needs and available resources is estimated to be $100 million. We cut another $22 million in FY 2026 and $42 million from FY 2027 to align with current attendance data. We brought our budget in line with the states financial reality. When factoring in inflation, even flat budgets mean cuts to overall operations.I will not be recommending further cuts to the public schools budget for FY 2026 or FY 2027.The public schools budget is more than numbers on a spreadsheet. It represents every one of our students, classrooms, teachers and communities. Whether we are talking about the biggest district in the Treasure Valley or the one-room schoolhouse in Lowman, schools are deeply woven into the fabric of Idaho communities. When funding is cut too deeply or carelessly, student opportunities shrink, programs disappear, and costs shift to local taxpayers.What does that look like? Larger class sizes; ending shop programs; cutting support for math and literacy; outdated textbooks and instructional materials; cuts to interventions; removing athletic, music, art and debate programs; laying off teachers and support staff; hiring freezes; declaring emergencies to break teacher contracts; increasing fees; and a heavier reliance on local taxpayers.This will cause disproportionate harm to rural students. We have serious concerns about the legal risks for unmet needs with students in special education as well. We have seen this before. It took years for our schools to recover from cuts during the 2008 downturn.Over the past decade, Idahos investments in K12 education have led to real, measurable gainsstronger readers in our early grades, higher graduation rates, and more success after high school. These outcomes, and many more, are the return on the states investment in our students.I urge legislators to remember that education funding is a long-term investment in Idahos prosperity. Idahos future workforce, economy, and communities depend on the strength of our public schools today.Debbie Critchfield, Superintendent of Public InstructionALSO READ | Inside the constitutional challenge to Idahos school choice tax credit ...read more read less