BOISE, Idaho — Idaho's Supreme Court is set to hear arguments on June 5 in a case that pits different government branches against each other and is paid for with your tax dollars. Superintendent of Public Instruction Sherri Ybarra is bringing a lawsuit against the State Legislature and the State Board of Education.
At issue, the legislature's decision to move 18 tech jobs from Ybarra's department to under the state board's control instead. In legal documents, Ybarra says she was blindsided by the change and contends the move has more to do with weakening her role then streamlining education.
"Superintendent Ybarra really feels like her department is under attack, under siege and again whether you agree with her or not it gives you a sense of why she feels it's so important to pursue this lawsuit in the middle of this pandemic when we're cutting education budgets why are we spending potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars in a quart room battle over 18 positions and $2.7 million in funding that isn't going away," said Kevin Richert, Idaho Education News. "It's just moving from one department to another. "
Idaho is one of only 13 states that elects it's state superintendent rather than the role being a governor's appointment. That said, the position is constitutionally mandated in Idaho. Any change to the job of Idaho's top educator would ultimately take a vote by the public.
The Supreme Court will hear the arguments in Ybarra's lawsuit via Zoom.
