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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3>Visionaries:</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3>As you know, half of the dividends from the lottery go to school district
building funds.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Unfortunately, the
Idaho Legislature has stolen some of these funds from the schools in a desperate
attempt to address the school facilities lawsuit.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>(without really addressing
it)</FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Lottery funds are used in the “Bond Equalization Support
Program,” which provides a formula by which districts receive help on the
interest of bond payments.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>House
Bill 349 stipulates that the “prosperous” districts, namely those districts with
a <U>value index</U> of one or more, will no longer receive the 10% they have
been guaranteed in the past.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>This
bill is proposed by members of the majority party on the Appropriations
Committee because there is clear indication that in the future all lottery funds
for schools could be eaten up by the bond equalization program.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></FONT></FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3>This is a continuation of bad policy, and does not offer a solution to
the problem of funding school facilities.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>It is also not likely to address the decision against the state in the
lawsuit.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>There are 37 districts
with a rating above 1, and 7 more hovering in that neighborhood.</FONT></P>
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