Private school vouchers weren’t the only education issue the Idaho Legislature tackled this week. Here’s a sampling of the bills circulating through the Statehouse that could affect public school students and educators.
Flag bill. House Bill 41, known as the “flag bill” and brought forth by Rep. Ted Hill (R-Eagle), passed the House earlier this week. The bill would ban flags with a “political viewpoint” from public K-12 schools in Idaho. HB 41 is designed to ban what Rep. Heather Scott (R-Blanchard) calls “sex flags” — in other words, the rainbow pride flag. The bill now likely heads to the Senate Education Committee for consideration.
Bullying. A bullying bill brought forth by Rep. Chris Mathias (D-Boise) passed the House this week. House Bill 44 requires school districts to report incidences of harassment, intimidation and bullying to the state. It also adds additional safeguards for students who are bullied in public schools, requiring that parents and guardians be notified of serious bullying incidents involving their children. The bill is expected to be taken up by the Senate Education Committee next week.
School Safety and Security Advisory Board changes. Flags weren’t the only thing on Rep. Hill’s mind this week. He also proposed reducing the number of people serving on the School Safety and Security Advisory Board from 13 to 6, citing difficulty filling positions. House Bill 42 is awaiting discussion on the House floor.
Rural facilities school funding. Boise Education Association member Rep. Soñia Galaviz (D-Boise) and Rep. Rod Furniss (R-Rigby) are co-sponsoring House Bill 75, which would create a new fund to support public education facilities. The fund would draw $25 million from the public school facilities cooperative fund and $28 million from the public school health insurance participation fund. To access the funds, public schools could apply for a need-based grant to pay for school construction, remodeling and maintenance, with priority given to rural districts. The bill has been printed and is being held in the House; it’s unclear when, or if, it will advance.
Mobile device policy. Senate Bill 1032, brought forward by Sen. Treg A. Bernt (R-Meridian), would require Idaho public school districts to create distraction-free learning policies to limit the use of electronic communications devices such as cell phones and tablets. The legislation would require all districts to have a policy in place by Dec. 31, 2025. After introduction, it was referred to the Senate Education Committee.
Ending compulsory attendance. House Joint Resolution No. 1 would amend the Idaho Constitution to change the language regarding compulsory education. Under the current language, every child between 6-18 must attend public schools unless they are educated by other means, such as home schooling or private schooling. HJR 1 would allow parents to educate children completely outside of the public school system “without government regulation.” If passed, the proposed constitutional amendment will appear on the November 2026 ballot. The resolution was proposed by Rep. Dale Hawkins (R-Fernwood) and has been referred to the House State Affairs Committee.
