New ad promotes school money measure

BOISE – Supporters of a ballot measure to boost state public education funding by $219 million a year released a new television advertisement Thursday.

The ad will run throughout the state on all major stations, said Lauren McLean, campaign manager for the group Invest in our Kids’ Education.

It features students and teachers and highlights the nine areas on which schools would be required to spend the additional money: new textbooks and supplies; new college preparatory classes; reducing class size; new classroom technology; teacher recruitment; restoring eliminated programs; classroom aides; arts and music classes; and routine school maintenance.

“From the beginning, Proposition 1 has been very clear that all the money has to be spent on these nine areas,” McLean said of the measure, which is on the Nov. 7 ballot.

According to the group’s campaign finance report, it has raised nearly $1.4 million and has more than $400,000 on hand.

The National Education Association, the national teachers union, and the NEA’s Idaho chapter together contributed $1.2 million to the campaign.