State Board Staff Misspent $1.8 Million Earmarked for Data Project
A legislative staff report revealed significant issues with the Idaho System for Educational Excellence (ISEE) upgrade, highlighting new problems alongside familiar ones. The State Board of Education misspent $1.8 million intended for the troubled K-12 data system upgrade, according to the report released Wednesday.
The report raises further questions about the future of the multimillion-dollar ISEE rebuild, a high-priority project that is currently stalled. Rep. Wendy Horman, co-chair of the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee, said,
“There likely will be an audit.”
The Legislative Services Office (LSO) report outlined several issues initially reported by Idaho Education News in August. These include delays in selecting an ISEE contractor, which pushed the federally funded upgrade behind schedule, and a sudden federal funding cut leaving the state with an incomplete system despite spending $6.2 million.
However, the LSO report also uncovered new problems, notably the misspending of funds. For the 2024-25 budget year, the Legislature instructed the State Board to use federal COVID relief aid exclusively for ISEE. Instead, the $1.8 million was diverted away from this purpose.
Summary of Key Issues
- Misspending of $1.8 million intended for the ISEE upgrade
- Delays in selecting contractors caused schedule setbacks
- Federal funding cuts left the project partially finished
- Project is currently on hold amid uncertainty
- Legislature mandated strict use of COVID relief aid solely for ISEE
Outlook
The report is unlikely to be the final word on the $1.8 million issue, as further audits and investigations are expected to follow.
Author’s summary: The Idaho education data system upgrade faces serious setbacks, including $1.8 million of misspent funds and stalled progress, prompting calls for audits and increased oversight.