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 clarify how school districts must use state funds designated for school facilities, requiring money to be spent on construction, renovation, maintenance, and security rather than athletic facilities. It establishes a nine-member Model School Facility Council to develop a standardized plan for school building design and construction that districts must follow when using these funds. The council will be appointed by state officials and must submit its plan to the legislature by July 2027, while districts must annually report on how they spend the allocated money.
This bill directs $5 million from the Idaho High Needs Student Fund to the Public Schools Educational Support Program's Division of Student Support for fiscal year 2027 to help fund student support services. It also transfers $1 million from the Idaho Career Ready Students Program Fund and $4 million from the Driver Training Account into the Idaho High Needs Student Fund to provide the necessary money for this appropriation. The legislation clarifies the funding source for these expenditures and sets the effective date as July 1, 2026, with an emergency declaration to ensure immediate implementation.
This bill allocates $356,300 in funding to Idaho's Division of Educational Services for the Deaf and the Blind for the 2027 fiscal year. The money comes from two sources: $335,900 transferred from the General Fund to the Public School Income Fund, and $20,400 from the School for the Deaf and the Blind Endowment Fund. The legislation clarifies the original funding sources for these expenditures and declares an emergency to make the funding effective starting July 1, 2026.
This Idaho bill allocates and adjusts funding for the Workforce Development Council and the STEM Action Center for fiscal years 2026 and 2027. It increases the Workforce Development Council's budget by $1,150,000 from the In-Demand Careers Fund while adding six full-time equivalent positions, but simultaneously reduces its General Fund allocation for operating expenses. The STEM Action Center receives a budget increase from the STEM Education Fund while having its total funding reduced by $76,400 from the General Fund and losing seven full-time equivalent positions. The bill also declares an emergency to allow the General Fund reduction to take effect immediately upon passage, with other provisions beginning on July 1, 2026.
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.
H 721 updates Idaho's building code rules for public school construction plans. It allows school districts to choose between local governments or the state division of occupational and professional licenses for plan reviews, but sets strict certification requirements for reviewers (e.g., International Code Council certification for structural reviews). The bill mandates a 30-day initial review timeline and limits fees for school plan reviews to those set by the state division. It directly affects public school districts, contractors, and local governments handling school construction projects.
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 establishes the Idaho Student Safety and Educator Disclosure Act to enhance student safety by requiring schools to verify the background and conduct history of all school employees. It mandates that school districts require job applicants to provide sworn statements about any past investigations, resignations during investigations, or disciplinary actions for misconduct, while non-district schools must obtain written authorization to contact an applicant's past employers for the last ten years to verify such information. The law also requires schools to report certain misconduct-related resignations or terminations to the Idaho Professional Standards Commission and clarifies that schools cannot delay reporting child abuse to law enforcement to conduct internal investigations. Additionally, it provides legal protections for employers who share information in good faith and outlines specific conditions under which private school employees can bring claims against their employers.
