Ed Department Becomes More Transparent with Online Portal, Ybarra says
(KLIX) – Idaho’s top educational leader says she wants to make the State Department of Education more transparent.
Superintendent of Public Instruction Sherri Ybarra said she will partner with State Controller Brandon Woolf to make her department the third state agency to publish detailed financial records via Transparent.Idaho.gov.
The site was launched in 2013 by Woolf and provides access to the department’s school report cards, budgetary and education workforce data, public records and other frequently requested information, according to Ybarra. Financial data can be reviewed in reports or downloaded for analysis.
“Transparency is important for education because it informs the dialog about investing in our schools and attracting and retaining great teachers,” she said in a prepared statement on Tuesday. “Transparency ensures education stakeholders are accountable for student progress.”
Ybarra said financial reports on the portal are updated daily and that the site will soon be expanded to include any further information.
“Education represents the single largest category of state spending,” she said. “Citizens have a right to know how their tax dollars are spent to help schools prepare students for college and careers.”