Reclaim Idaho to hold virtual meeting on education funding

Created in 2017, Reclaim Idaho is a grassroots movement developed to bring Idahoans together around shared issues that have wide-sweeping support but may not be being addressed by legislature.
 Originally developed to organize a local school levy in the Sandpoint area, the organization grew in 2018 to call for the Medicaid expansion. The organization is now making efforts to petition other important issues with an upcoming informational session on education funding.
 “Our Reclaim mission is really to go after those issues that are not being addressed and doing so in a way where we’re organizing at the local level and engaging with everyday Idahoans,” said campaign manager Ashley Prince. “And actually having community members lead the effort in their areas because they know their area best.”
 Just one of several informational sessions being held around the state, Idaho is consistently low on the list of 50 states regarding education funding and is an issue not being addressed at the state level.
 The organization attempted to begin addressing this issue, however the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic forced a stop to the ballot initiative. The issue has not gone away, however, and now through virtual means, the organization is ready to reengage Idaho and encourage local individuals to sign petitions and get involved.
 “Teachers are still leaving the profession, there are still worn-out textbooks,” said Prince. “It just doesn’t feel like the state is upholding their end in the bargain, which is upholding that part in the Constitution.”
 As a virtual event, the upcoming informational session will allow the opportunity to potentially reach a wider audience, eliminating the inconvenience of driving long distances to attend an in-person event and welcoming people in the surrounding areas.
 The event itself will be held in Weiser and will focus on community members in Weiser, Fruitland, and Middleton. The three areas are similar demographically and the organization’s goal is to bring the community members together as a team.
 As well as an informational session, Prince said they hope to introduce people as well as possible via zoom and initiate conversation and interest around the issue.
 The session is also hoped to encourage involvement in the organization, gaining new members and increased interest.
 “This is kind of our way to bring folks together in that area, virtually,” said Prince. “I really enjoy my job, mostly the part where I get to meet a whole lot of normal, everyday folk who really just care about their community and just want to see things addressed that they know are popular, that they agree with all their neighbors on. That’s my favorite part.”
 With the upcoming ballot initiative, Reclaim Idaho is going back to its roots of education reform and support. The virtual event is scheduled March 17 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. To RSVP to the event, visit the website mobilize.us/reclaimidaho/ and sign up online.
 “I love the idea of being able to engage one-on-one with just my neighbor or someone across town…we can talk about the issues that are important and we can find things that really we can agree on,” said Prince. “And we can do this in a way that it fills the organizational capacity to do really big, positive things for the state.”