House Committee Introduces Three Education Bills

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — The House Education Committee has introduced three revised bills aimed at giving school boards more leverage on contract talks with teachers union. The legislation introduced Tuesday is similar to measures brought to the committee last month and to provisions contained in Students Come First laws that were repealed in November.

One bill would give school boards authority to end talks with teachers with a "last best offer" if both sides fail to reach a deal on pay and benefits. A second bill gives boards the option to use performance evaluations to make layoff decisions. Democrats voted against both bills. Idaho School Boards Association Executive Director Karen Echeverria says recent talks with the teachers union led to agreement on a third bill that would enable school boards to distribute contracts electronically.