Superintendent Brian Hunicke shows how high the water goes when it floods.(Asia Fields / ProPublica)

Idaho spends less on school infrastructure per student than any other state.
 
That fact prompted the nonprofit newsroom ProPublica to start looking at the effects this lack of investment has caused for schools, teachers and students.

 Here is just a little of what they found from the officials they talked with: Leaking roofs, flooding classrooms, cracks in walls and foundations, asbestos—systems so old they can’t properly heat classrooms in winter or cool them in summer—overcrowding, security issues—some schools say classrooms can’t hear PA announcements, so they can’t hear it if there’s an active shooter threat or a fire—the list goes on and on.

 The investigation found that while schools are falling apart, Idaho laws mean raising money to fix them can be extremely hard, especially in smaller, more rural districts.

 ProPublica engagement reporter Asia Fields and Idaho Statesman reporter Becca Savransky joined Idaho Matters to tell us more about this investigation.