Shoshone County receives SRS dollars
This map shows both lands managed by the United State Forest Service (green) and the Bureau of Land Management (tan), these lands are all accounted for when determining Secure Rural Schools (SRS) funds.
Courtesy image
WALLACE — $23.9 million in Secure Rural Schools (SRS) funds will be distributed throughout Idaho following a two-year extension of the program, authorized by Congress in December 2019.
The funds are administered through the U.S. Forest Service and based on a formula that takes into account economic activity, timber harvest levels and other considerations that vary from county to county. SRS payments are critical to maintain education programs for many rural counties that contain federal lands exempt from property taxes.
The funds are spent by counties on a 70/30 split between roads and schools respectively.
Of that near $24 million being received, Shoshone County will receive $2,742,146.94, the second highest amount following Idaho County’s $6.4 million.
“The federal government controls 63% of Idaho’s natural resources, preventing these areas from generating revenue and taxes to support our rural schools and infrastructure,” said Representative Russ Fulcher. “Until this land can be utilized, these payments are vital to the success of our rural communities, and I am pleased to see that they will be delivered.”
Payments through the program are seen as a lifeline for many counties that rely on them for school funds, as well as law enforcement and infrastructure needs. A two-year extension of SRS funding was included in the end-of-year funding package approved by Congress and signed into law by President Trump.
While receiving these funds is a boon for Shoshone County and its schools, SRS funding is still on the decline and could likely be gone entirely before too long, which is something local officials have long since discussed.
“SRS is a non-reliable revenue source,” BOCC chairman Mike Fitzgerald said previously. “It is subject to reauthorization at the national level. The knowledge regarding need and the commitment to/responsibility for sustaining the payments varies depending on the makeup of the Senate, House of Representatives and president. SRS is a declining revenue source. Given the history of SRS, the payment amounts and plans for future payments have been and are anticipated to be less.”
The extension helps ensure rural communities and school districts home to federal land can provide essential services while bipartisan work continues to end the financial uncertainty thousands of rural counties face nationwide.