High-Needs Special Education Fund Finally Heads to Governor
The fund is a drop in the bucket, but it’s a good start.
The big news: This week, the Idaho House of Representatives passed Senate Bill 1288, which creates a $5 million fund for high-needs students, on a 49-21 vote. It now awaits the governor’s signature — and he is expected to sign it.
The back story: Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction Debbie Critchfield made special education funding her No. 1 priority this legislative session.
• After initially indicating she would request $50 million — a non-starter during a budget shortfall — Critchfield narrowed her sights.
• The high-needs fund created by Senate Bill 1288 used some creative budgeting: The $5 million will be gleaned from existing State Department of Education programs. With no net impact on the state’s bottom line, that made it tough for legislators to say no.
• During the 2025 session, an attempt to create a $3 million high-needs special education funding bill failed by just one vote, so this year’s wide passage of Senate Bill 1288 is a hopeful sign.
Thank the Lawmakers Who Support SPED
Take just a few moments to thank the legislators who voted for SB 1288 and supported educating ALL of Idaho’s public school students.
Where the money will go: The money from the fund may be used for specialized care and personnel like full-time aides.
• Districts can ask for the funds if an individual student’s special education costs exceed $30,000.
Why it matters: Idaho’s public education system is chronically underfunded. But in this case, the fiscal abandonment of the state’s special education students has taken place at both the state and federal level.
• 51 years after the passage of the landmark Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act, a civil rights bill that guaranteed children a free, appropriate public education, the federal government has still never appropriated the 40% it promised to states to help cover the cost.
• The federal government contributes only 12% to 15% of the necessary funds to states.
• In Idaho, that leaves a funding gap, with estimates of its size ranging between $80 million to $100 million.
• That has created a financial blame game between the state and the federal government, but it’s local public school districts that must try to recoup costs by persuading voters to raise their own taxes through bonds and levies.
What Idaho legislators said and did: Public schools must educate all enrolled students, regardless of their ability — that has been the law of the land since 1975. This year, a vocal minority of Idaho legislators failed to grasp that basic concept.
• Rep. Steve Miller (R-Fairfield) suggested special needs students would be better served in institutions. “We are not designed for medical health or mental health care for students who do not have the future of being self-sustaining,” he said.
• Rep. Dale Hawkins (R-Fernwood) questioned whether the bill should be handled by the Legislature’s education committees at all, saying that “health and welfare and those types of issues have now been pushed into the school.”
• In the end, though, the bill passed both houses by a fairly large margin.
What’s next: Expect special education funding to pop up again next year as the budget shortfall continues into a second fiscal year and as the economy tightens.
Who voted for and against SB 1288?
Voted For:
• Sen. Kelly Anthon (R-Burley)
• Sen. Treg Bernt (R-Meridian)
• Sen. Camille Blaylock (R-Caldwell)
• Sen. Van Burtenshaw (R-Terreton)
• Sen. Kevin Cook (R-Idaho Falls)
• Sen. Lori Den Hartog (R-Meridian)
• Sen. Dan Foreman (R-Moscow)
• Sen. Codi Galloway (R-Boise)
• Sen. C. Scott Grow (R-Eagle)
• Sen. Jim Guthrie (R-McCammon)
• Sen. Mark Harris (R-Soda Springs)
• Sen. Todd Lakey (R-Nampa)
• Sen. Dave Lent (R-Idaho Falls)
• Sen. Ali Rabe (D-Boise)
• Sen. James Ruchti (D-Pocatello)
• Sen. Carrie Semmelroth (D-Boise)
• Sen. Ron Taylor (D-Hailey)
• Sen. Julie VanOrden (R-Pingree)
• Sen. Janie Ward-Engelking (D-Boise)
• Sen. Melissa Wintrow (D-Boise)
• Sen. Jim Woodward (R-Sagle)
• Rep. Vito Barbieri (R-Dalton Gardens)
• Rep. Steve Berch (D-Boise)
• Rep. Erin Bingham (R-Idaho Falls)
• Rep. Judy Boyle (R-Midvale)
• Rep. David Cannon (R-Blackfoot)
• Rep. Rick Cheatum (R-Pocatello)
• Rep. Monica Church (D-Boise)
• Rep. Jeff Cornilles (R-Nampa)
• Rep. Jaron Crane (R-Nampa)
• Rep. Brent Crane (R-Nampa)
• Rep. Shawn Dygert (R-Melba)
• Rep. Megan Egbert (D-Boise)
• Rep. Barb Ehardt (R-Idaho Falls)
• Rep. Ben Fuhriman (R-Shelley)
• Rep. Rod Furniss (R-Rigby)
• Rep. Soñia Galaviz (D-Boise)
• Rep. John Gannon (D-Boise)
• Rep. Dan Garner (R-Clifton)
• Rep. Brooke Green (D-Boise)
• Rep. Don Hall (R-Twin Falls)
• Rep. Clay Handy (R-Burley)
• Rep. Annie Henderson-Haws (D-Boise)
• Rep. Dori Healey (R-Boise)
• Rep. James Holtzclaw (R-Meridian)
• Rep. Dustin Manwaring (R-Pocatello)
• Rep. Chris Mathias (D-Boise)
• Rep. Lori McCann (R-Lewiston)
• Rep. Ron Mendive (R-Coeur d’Alene)
• Rep. Stephanie Mickelsen (R-Idaho Falls)
• Rep. Steve Miller (R-Fairfield)
• Rep. Jack Nelsen (R-Jerome)
• Rep. Joe Palmer (R-Meridian)
• Rep. James Petzke (R-Meridian)
• Rep. Doug Pickett (R-Oakley)
• Rep. Mike Pohanka (R-Jerome)
• Rep. Britt Raybould (R-Rexburg)
• Rep. Jerald Raymond (R-Menan)
• Rep. Jordan Redman (R-Coeur d’Alene)
• Rep. Ilana Rubel (D-Boise)
• Rep. Mark Sauter (R-Sandpoint)
• Rep. Charlie Shepherd (R-Pollock)
• Rep. John Shirts (R-Weiser)
• Rep. Bruce Skaug (R-Nampa)
• Rep. Steve Tanner (R-Nampa)
• Rep. John Vander Woude (R-Nampa)
• Rep. Mike Veile (R-Soda Springs)
• Rep. Jon Weber (R-Rexburg)
• Rep. Josh Wheeler (R-Ammon)
Voted against:
• Sen. Ben Adams (R-Nampa)
• Sen. Cindy Carlson (R-Riggins)
• Sen. Phil Hart (R-Kellogg)
• Sen. Josh Keyser (R-Meridian)
• Sen. Josh Kohl (R-Twin Falls)
• Sen. Brian Lenney (R-Nampa)
• Sen. Tammy Nichols (R-Middleton)
• Sen. Doug Okuniewicz (R-Hayden)
• Sen. Brandon Shippy (R-New Plymouth)
• Sen. Ben Toews (R-Coeur d’Alene)
• Sen. Christy Zito (R-Mountain Home)
• Sen. Glenneda Zuiderveld (R-Twin Falls)
• Rep. Joe Alfieri (R-Coeur d’Alene)
• Rep. Rob Beiswenger (R-Horseshoe Bend)
• Rep. Chris Bruce (R-Kuna)
• Rep. Tanya Burgoyne (R-Pocatello)
• Rep. Lucas Cayler (R-Caldwell)
• Rep. Jeff Ehlers (R-Meridian)
• Rep. Dale Hawkins (R-Fernwood)
• Rep. Ted Hill (R-Eagle)
• Rep. Clint Hostetler (R-Twin Falls)
• Rep. David Leavitt (R-Twin Falls)
• Rep. Kent Marmon (R-Caldwell)
• Rep. Brandon Mitchell (R-Moscow)
• Rep. Jason Monks (R-Meridian)
• Rep. Mike Moyle (R-Star)
• Rep. Elaine Price (R-Coeur d’Alene)
• Rep. Cornel Rasor (R-Sagle)
• Rep. Heather Scott (R-Blanchard)
• Rep. Josh Tanner (R-Eagle)
• Rep. Faye Thompson (R-McCall)
• Rep. Tony Wisniewski (R-Post Falls)
