How much does a good superintendent cost?
Daily Digest 6/26/26
Bub’s new contract
Earlier this month, West Ada School District superintendent Dr. Derek Bub was given a pay raise by board trustees. Before deciding if this is a good investment of taxpayer dollars, we should take a look at the numbers:
The Idaho Report Card also notes reading indicator proficiency in both fall and spring, showing how much students grow during the school year. West Ada students score 75.8% in the fall, compared to the statewide average of 70.9% in the spring. That means that the average student in West Ada is more literate at the beginning of the school year than students in other districts are at the end.
Public school students are clearly much better off in West Ada than in any other district in the state. How much of that can be credited to the superintendent? And if we demand that leaders take responsibility for failure, should they also receive credit for success?
In setting Dr. Bub’s salary, the West Ada Board of Trustees utilized a salary and benefits study produced by the School Superintendents Association. I reached out to the district office and obtained a scanned copy. The document contains extensive survey data and demographic breakdowns, but some of the most relevant figures are the median salary for superintendents of districts with 25,000 to 49,999 students at $295,000, and the median salary for suburban districts at $220,000.
Dr. Bub’s current salary of $230,822 places him just above the median for suburban districts, but on the lower end for similarly sized districts by enrollment. His ultimate salary under the new contract of $290,822 will place him just under the median for large districts in that enrollment category.
Make sure to click the button below to read the full article. I converted this one into a podcast, so check it out at Spotify, Apple, YouTube, or wherever you like to listen to such things.
Moon’s momentum
Idaho GOP chairwoman’s op-ed following her triumph at the state convention calls for unity in the face of the abortion initiative:
We also have a radical abortion initiative to deal with. This week, we celebrated four years since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and allowed Idaho’s laws protecting unborn babies to go into effect. Now, the progressive left wants to undo that accomplishment and bring back abortion—even up to nine months of pregnancy—to Idaho.
The Idaho GOP will not allow that to happen. Alongside other great organizations that believe in the inherent value of unborn life, we will fight to ensure every Idaho voter knows the truth about this radical initiative, and we will defeat it in November should it make the ballot.
Simpson talks chainsaws
Congressman Mike Simpson published an op-ed in the Idaho State Journal defending a proposed rule allowing gas-powered chainsaws on public lands:
Crosscut saws are slow, labor-intensive, and often inadequate for the scale of the problem in rugged terrain. Volunteers and agency crews have used them for years, but when blowdown reaches “extraordinary levels,” efficiency matters for safety and access.
The Wilderness Act of 1964 is not an absolute ban on all tools. Section 4(c) explicitly allows motorized equipment when it is the “minimum requirement” for administering the area to preserve its wilderness character, including maintaining recreational trails.
The Forest Service conducted a Minimum Requirements Analysis, approved use only on 61 specific high-priority trails (about 542 miles, half the area in one forest), limited it to January through August for three years, and restricted it to authorized outfitters.
Unlike what these left-wing groups are saying, this is not a “chainsaw massacre.” It’s a necessary response to keep trails open, all within the law requirements.
IFPC explains the stakes
Idaho’s abortion ban is once again subject to litigation. Idaho Family Policy Center explains what is at stake:
A final ruling in favor of Dr. Seyb would blow open abortion access in Idaho. Dr. Seyb is trying to legalize abortion for almost any reason. Such a ruling would undo much of the progress that Idaho has made in recent years to protect preborn babies, and the statewide abortion rate would increase significantly as a result. That said, Idaho could appeal such a ruling to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and eventually the U.S. Supreme Court. On appeal, Idaho’s abortion laws would likely be vindicated—although it’s worth noting that an appeal could take weeks, months, or even years to work its way through the court system. Notably, Idaho’s abortion laws have already been largely upheld by both state and federal courts, including the Idaho Supreme Court. And with the U.S. Supreme Court holding in Dobbs that the regulation of abortion is an issue best left to state legislatures, there are strong reasons to believe that Idaho’s abortion laws will continue to withstand judicial scrutiny.
Solar, wind, or nuclear?
Brian Parsons is concerned about a new proposed solar project in southeastern Idaho:
Here in Bannock County, we’re once again debating industrial solar and battery farms. This project, the Harmon Solar Project, proposed by Utah’s Balanced Rock Energy, seeks to implement a 2600-acre industrial solar and battery storage facility in the south Bannock County Marsh Valley region. The same project was first proposed and shot down in 2024, when concerned citizens in south county organized to prohibit the development of industrial energy in Bannock County, but re-emerged after County Commissioner John Crowder was replaced on the Commission. The project’s proponents seek to push through the necessary zoning ordinance changes via conditional use permits to allow the development of industrial-scale energy projects, including wind, solar, and nuclear. The final date to receive Federal tax subsidies for this project requires that the project start by July 04, 2026.
Press releases
Lenney asks questions
This week, President Trump abruptly canceled plans to sign a sweeping housing bill that was supported by all four of Idaho’s congressional delegates. Sen. Brian Lenney took the opportunity to take a closer look at this legislation:
Heather Scott explains it all
Rep. Heather Scott has been explaining how law enforcement works in Idaho. This week, she examined the office of prosecutor:
Nichols is fired up
Sen. Tammy Nichols shared her thoughts on the recent state convention and what Idaho Republicans need to do next:
Special briefing
If you’re a paid subscriber to the Gem State Chronicle, make sure to check out the special briefing I wrote yesterday.
Remember to catch Eagle Fun Days tomorrow where the District 14 GOP will once again take part in the Wet & Wild Parade. Sounds like it’s going to be rainy, but I’m still going have a great time!
As always, thank you to sponsors Lynn Bradescu’s Boise Realty, Money Metals, and New Saint Andrews College. Thank you also to all the paid subscribers who make it possible for me to do what I do, as well as all the readers who are constantly encouraging me to keep it up. I appreciate you!