This bill amends Idaho state law to revise the structure, duties, and funding rules for the Idaho Digital Learning Academy, a public school-choice program that offers online courses to students. It establishes the Academy as a distinct governmental entity rather than a state department, outlines the responsibilities of its Board of Directors, and sets specific requirements for course offerings, staffing, and accreditation. Key provisions include limiting administrative staff to 30% of the budget, exempting teachers from certain employment classifications, defining course fees with a $40 cap for graduation-required classes, and allowing the Academy to contract with service providers for 24/7 online course delivery. The legislation also clarifies definitions for terms like "host district" and "custom section," while declaring an emergency to ensure immediate implementation of these changes.
This bill amends Idaho law to revise the Parental Choice Tax Credit, which provides financial assistance to parents for private school and related educational expenses. It establishes eligibility for Idaho residents with children aged 5 to 18, or children with disabilities up to age 21, to claim a refundable tax credit of up to $5,000 per eligible student for qualified expenses including tuition, tutoring, assessments, and transportation. The bill creates a priority application system that favors lower-income families and allows eligible parents to request an advance payment of the credit before filing their tax return. It also repeals the previous advance payment fund and sets specific application deadlines and documentation requirements for claiming the credit.
This bill adjusts funding for Idaho's Division of Student Support for fiscal years 2026 and 2027, allocating $11.9 million from specific funds while reducing overall appropriations by nearly $10 million. The legislation lowers per-student funding for fully virtual schools, cuts $7.5 million in transportation reimbursements, and requires schools offering online classes to report enrollment and attendance data. It also modifies how English learner funds are distributed, establishes new requirements for technology education programs, and mandates a report on special education spending.
Idaho's S 1336 requires all public high school students to demonstrate core virtues (like patriotism and justice) and master key principles of American self-government, including natural rights, the rule of law, and the separation of powers, before graduation. It mandates two credits each in American history and government for grades 9-12, with a full-year Western civilization course required for 8th graders by 2030. The bill specifies curricula must cover foundational documents (Declaration of Independence, Constitution), the American founding era, and the influence of Western traditions, while including instruction on how totalitarian ideologies like communism conflict with U.S. principles. These changes directly affect Idaho public school students and educators developing course materials. The law takes effect immediately upon passage.
This bill amends Idaho school law to prohibit in-person student instruction on election days, ensuring schools do not operate as polling places unless a specific agreement is made between the county clerk and school district. It directly affects school districts, students, and election officials by restricting classroom activities during election periods while allowing exceptions for activities that do not require students to be inside buildings used for voting. The law permits professional development, training, and extracurricular activities on election days as long as they do not involve students being present in designated polling locations, and it grants the state board of education authority to waive instructional hour requirements when election-related closures are necessary.
This bill updates Idaho's rules for counting student enrollment numbers, which directly affects school districts, public charter schools, and the state Board of Education. It establishes specific guidelines for calculating full-time enrollment, including limits on how many students can be counted based on their attendance patterns, such as restricting students with 11 or more consecutive unexcused absences from being counted on official enrollment dates. The law also sets clear rules for counting kindergarten students at half enrollment and summer or night school students at one-quarter enrollment, while requiring schools to conduct official enrollment counts on specific dates throughout the school year. These changes will take effect on July 1, 2026, and aim to standardize how student enrollment data is collected and reported across the state.
This bill is a joint memorial from the Idaho Legislature expressing support for federal efforts to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education. It states that education is a state responsibility under the Tenth Amendment and argues that the Department has created burdensome regulations without adequate funding. The document urges the U.S. Congress to cooperate with eliminating the Department and directs officials to send this message to federal leaders and Idaho's congressional delegation.
This bill allocates $4,998,400 to Idaho's Office of the State Board of Education for fiscal year 2027, funding administrative operations through a combination of general fund and federal grant money. It simultaneously reduces the office's general fund appropriation by $510,500 and cuts four full-time equivalent positions from the office's authorized staffing level. The legislation takes effect on July 1, 2026, and was signed into law by the Governor.
This bill allocates $1,368,700 in state funding to Idaho's four community colleges for fiscal year 2027, with specific amounts designated for personnel and operating expenses at each institution. The legislation also reduces the total appropriation by $245,500 from the previous year's funding levels across the same colleges. The funds are distributed through the State Board of Education's General Fund and become effective on July 1, 2026.
This bill allocates state funding for Idaho's education system for fiscal year 2027, directing money to the State Board of Education, public universities, community colleges, and related agencies. It establishes specific dollar amounts for personnel, operating expenses, and capital outlays for institutions including Boise State, Idaho State, Lewis-Clark State, University of Idaho, and four community colleges. The legislation also sets limits on the number of authorized full-time equivalent positions for certain programs and provides flexibility to transfer funds between expense categories for higher education and health education programs. Additionally, it adjusts student tuition and fees for the upcoming fiscal year and designates funds for standards review, data sharing, and accountability reporting.
