As legislative budget writers wrapped up their questions for state schools Supt. Tom Luna this morning, JFAC Co-Chair Dean Cameron, R-Rupert, told state schools Supt. Tom Luna, “I know that we still have a lot of issues to work through, but we’ll work through them together.”

Luna noted that the reason he’s proposing $10.4 million in funding for classroom technology in the school budget for next year is “to make sure there’s no interruption” in those efforts, even as a stakeholders task force looks into possible school improvements. Those could require changing how those tech dollars are spent, Luna said, adding that he’s open to that. Luna said he wants the state to continue, without interruption, to fund technology for schools. “We’ve been doing it since 1995, except for one year,” he said.

Rep. Shirley Ringo, D-Moscow, who asked several questions, said afterward that she agreed with Luna that the $10.4 million in technology funding should be included in the budget. "Whatever the debate over technology, we know that the schools are using it," she said. "We really need to have that support in there."