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<p class="paragraph" style="background:white"><span class="eop"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black"> </span></span><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black;background:white"><img width="624" height="147" style="width:6.5in;height:1.5312in" id="_x0000_i1025" src="cid:image001.png@01D84A81.67711350" alt="Graphical user interface, text
Description automatically generated"></span><span class="eop"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black"><br>
<br>
</span></span><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<span class="eop"> </span></span><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="paragraph" style="background:white"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black">April 7, 2022</span></span><span class="eop"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black"> </span></span><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><u><span style="font-size:22.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Idaho accelerates investments in literacy, education<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Kuna, Idaho – Governor Brad Little joined legislators, teachers, and education leaders at Reed Elementary in Kuna today to highlight successes this legislative session in accelerating investments
in literacy and K-12 education.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">K-12 funding will increase by $300 million, the single largest increase in state history, which amounts to a 12.5-percent increase over FY22.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">The Legislature approved Governor Little’s plan for an additional $47 million for literacy – his top priority in education.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><b><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">“With this added investment, funding for literacy will increase five-fold since I took office more than three years ago. It is an accomplishment I am truly proud of,”</span></b><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">
Governor Little said. <b>“My priority has been and will continue to be getting all Idaho kids to read proficiently by the end of third grade. It just makes sense. Our investments in education later will have more impact if we can give students a strong start.
It is not only our constitutional obligation but our moral obligation as well. I appreciate my legislative partners for sharing my passion</b>
<b>for making sure we meet our obligations to our education system and ensure success for Idaho students and families!”</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">The additional $47 million can be utilized by school districts to address literacy based on their needs. Some districts may choose to use the dollars for full-day Kindergarten and other
districts may choose after-school reading programs or other uses. Governor Little said he has always supported addressing needs through flexibility. Each district is different, and the money needs to be flexible to ensure success.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">The Legislature also approved the Governor’s new
<a href="https://gov.idaho.gov/pressrelease/gov-little-signs-leading-idaho-empowering-parents-grants-into-law/">
Empowering Parents grants</a> that help families take charge of education expenses for their children.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">In addition, Idaho has strengthened the ability to
<a href="https://gov.idaho.gov/pressrelease/opinion-celebrating-teachers-our-partners-in-the-education-of-idahos-future/">
recruit and retain quality teachers</a> by giving them up to 10-percent pay increases plus bonuses along with opportunities for better and more affordable health insurance.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="paragraph" align="center" style="text-align:center;background:white"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black"># # # </span></span><span class="eop"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black"> </span></span><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="paragraph" style="background:white"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black"> </span></span><span class="eop"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black"> </span></span><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="paragraph" style="background:white"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black">NEWS MEDIA CONTACT: Marissa Morrison Hyer, Press Secretary </span></span><span class="eop"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black"> </span></span><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="paragraph" style="background:white"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black">208-943-1686 or </span></span><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black"><a href="mailto:marissa.morrison@gov.idaho.gov" target="_blank"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="color:#0563C1;text-decoration:none">marissa.morrison@gov.idaho.gov</span></span></a><span class="normaltextrun"> </span><span class="eop"> </span></span><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="paragraph" style="background:white"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black">-- </span></span><span class="eop"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black"> </span></span><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="paragraph" style="background:white"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black"><a href="https://visitor.r20.constantcontact.com/manage/optin?v=001jPcDrZTUF2iffZAaFR5CaCO9D9OTNmcIrS9m2JnRBQLxSmCCDvAfzkhQC6WRNcW4O6931CUyPvAzTSP21AiJ4rioUvabaHbWJxzuwF2hEYM%3D#_blank" target="_blank"><span class="normaltextrun"><i><span style="color:#0563C1;text-decoration:none">Sign
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<p class="paragraph" style="background:white"><span class="normaltextrun"><i><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black">Reply to this e-mail to unsubscribe</span></i></span><span class="eop"><span style="font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:black"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
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