Anti-union bill: Check out our full story on House Bill 745 to learn more about the latest anti-union bill.
Big news for SPED students: Lawmakers took a small step toward addressing the large and growing gap between what state and federal governments provide to educate Idaho’s special education students and what districts must pay.
• The SPED funding gap — which varies, but is typically estimated at around $80 million — has been a huge issue for Idaho public schools, which are required to educate every child who enrolls.
• Senate Bill 1288, sponsored by Sen. Camille Blaylock (R-Caldwell) and Rep. Ben Fuhriman (R-Shelley) creates a one-time $5 million fund to address the most critical SPED funding needs. The fund would be created by pulling money from existing programs.
• The Senate passed the bill 22-12. It now heads to the House.
Compulsory education: Lawmakers weren’t just busy debating whether the Legislature should dictate how union members spend their paychecks while eviscerating local control. They were also debating whether Idaho’s children should be attending school at all.
• House Joint Resolution 9, which would eliminate the Idaho Constitution’s ability to compel Idaho children to attend public schools. HJR 9’s author, Rep. Dale Hawkins (R-Fernwood) is calling it a “right to NOT educate.” The bill passed out of committee on Thursday and now heads to the full House.
Funding formula: Sen. David Lent (R-Idaho Falls) is pushing for the state to finally update the formula it uses to fund Idaho’s public schools. He introduced a resolution into the Senate State Affairs Committee that will task Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction Debbie Critchfield to create a working group to tackle the problem and present a solution to lawmakers in 2027. The committee passed it unanimously. The resolution is expected to go to the Senate Education Committee next.
Other bills IEA is tracking:
AI in classrooms: Senate Bill 1227, which would establish guidelines for the use of AI in classrooms, passed the Senate on Thursday. It now heads to the House.
The original anti-union bill: Rep. Judy Boyle (R-Midvale) isn’t putting all of her anti-union eggs in one basket. If House Bill 745 fails, she still has her previous anti-union bill — HB 601 — in her back pocket. That bill is still being held in the House Commerce and Human Resources Committee.
Multiple bills from Redman: Rep. Jordan Redman (R-Coeur d’Alene) introduced three bills this week.
• A bill mandating schools provide 20 minutes of recess for grades K-5.
• Allow school districts the flexibility to run one to four year supplemental levies rather than the standard two-year levy
• Allow schools to punish students for publishing online comments that “harasses, threatens, or bullies any public school employee or other person.”
• All three bills were printed and may be up for further debate soon.
