IDLA battle: There were rumors that the Idaho Legislature would sine die, or conclude the legislative session, on March 27. That isn’t happening, and one of the big reasons is the battle over the Idaho Digital Learning Alliance budget.
• House Bill 940 would cut IDLA’s $26 million state budget by $13.4 million. It was voted out of the Senate Education Committee with a “do pass” recommendation on Friday after a furious back-and-forth between lawmakers.
• The bill’s opponents include district superintendents and the Idaho Association of School Administrators, who point out that the Legislature has put them in a bind by creating additional graduation requirements. The problem: Those requirements came without additional funding, and IDLA has helped fill the gap.
• IDLA is also a lifeline in rural areas that cannot afford additional educators or programs.
Headed to the governor:
Idaho finally has a high-needs student fund. Read the full story.
• School sexual abuse allegations: Senate Bill 1412 prohibits schools from conducting their own reviews of alleged abuse instead of reporting to law enforcement. The bill also adds whistleblower protections for employees who speak up. It passed both chambers unanimously.
• Alternative administrator certification: House Bill 711 creates an alternative pathway to becoming a school principal or superintendent. Candidates may now qualify without obtaining a master’s degree or traditional administrator licensure; however, they must have a bachelor’s degree and complete a mentorship program after hiring.
• Parental Rights Act: House Bill 860 is an update to the state’s 2024 parental rights law, known as the “Band-Aid Bill,” which created confusion over which medical services public schools could provide. The bill now allows non-emergency care such as Band-Aids, will allow health providers to treat students who are facing serious bodily harm, and allow the state’s suicide prevention hotline to make follow-up calls to minors who are experiencing suicidal ideation. It passed both chambers unanimously.
• No in-person instruction on election day: Schools that also serve as polling stations will not be able to hold in-person classes on election day under House Bill 728.
• Student enrollment counts: House Bill 846 bars public schools from counting students as enrolled if they miss the first 10 days of instruction.
• Online student behavior: House Bill 785 creates a legal definition of “inappropriate online behavior” by students and allows schools to discipline students for such actions — even if they occur off-campus and outside of school hours.
• Civics diploma seal: House Bill 712 creates a “State Seal of Excellence in Civics.” High school students who want to earn the seal must meet GPA, assessment, project and community service criteria.
• CTE educator minimum hours: House Bill 832 eliminates current work-hour minimums for CTE educators and grants the Division of Career Technical Education the ability to set new standards rather than having them in statute.
• CTE career ladder: House Bill 849 allows CTE instructors and newly hired pupil service staff, such as counselors and nurses, to advance on the career ladder based on professional experience.
• Library bill cleanup: House Bill 795 is a clean-up bill that removes duplicative language from the state’s infamous law against “harmful” library materials.
• Eliminate the U.S. Department of Education: House Joint Memorial 19 is a non-binding memorial encouraging Congress to shut down the U.S. Department of Education.
Still moving:
• Voucher uses: Faced with a budget mess, voucher proponents did not ask for an expansion of the state’s tax credit that can be used to pay for private schools. However, under House Bill 934, students whose parents qualify for vouchers will be allowed to participate in public school extracurricular activities; they can also use vouchers for IDLA course fees. It is awaiting a vote on the Senate floor.
• School spending flexibility: House Bill 883 would give the highest-performing public school districts and charter schools more flexibility over how they use state funding. It is awaiting a vote on the Senate floor. Proponents suggested that such flexibility might one day be expanded to all public schools if the program works well.
• Community schools: Senate Concurrent Resolution 126 expresses the Legislature’s support for the community schools model. It has already passed the Senate and is awaiting a vote in the House.
Stalled or dead:
• Anti-union bill: This year’s anti-union bill, House Bill 745, is still awaiting a hearing in the Senate Commerce and Human Resources Committee. It passed the House earlier this month.
• Mandatory recess: House Bill 915 would require 20 minutes of daily recess for K-5 students. It passed the House but was held by the Senate Education Committee when the bill’s sponsor attended another meeting during its hearing.
• ‘Harmful materials’: House Bill 819 expands the state’s “library bill” so the state has more power over what is deemed “harmful.” It has been referred back to the House State Affairs Committee.
