Idaho inched closer toward adopting a weighted student funding formula — but just for discretionary funding in larger public school districts and for small school districts. Senate Bill 1096, introduced by Sen. James Woodward (R-Sagle), would distribute more money for students who require more attention and funding, including gifted and talented students, special education students, students learning English, low-income students, and students who attend alternative school. The bill now heads to the Senate floor.
In addition, there are now three cellphone policy bills winding their ways through committee rooms:
• 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. The bill passed the Senate unanimously and now heads to the House.
• The House Education Committee heard a bill from Rep. Jaron Crane (R-Nampa) that would ban the use of “wireless electronic communication devices” during class time. The bill is expected to receive another hearing before the committee soon.
• Rep. Wendy Horman (R-Idaho Falls) and Rep. Chris Mathias (D-Boise) proposed a “Mobile Device Policy Fund” addition to the Phone Free Learning Act, an executive order made by Governor Little that is already in place. The fund would issue grants of $1,500 to help districts create their own policies. The bill has been referred to the House Appropriations Committee.
Several other education-related bills meandered through the Legislature this week:
Senate Bill 1046, sponsored by Sen. Tammy Nichols (R-Middleton), would require educators to show “a high-definition ultrasound video” lasting at least three minutes to fifth- through 12th-graders studying contraception, sexually-transmitted diseases or human biology. The bill now heads to the Senate floor for amendments.
Catching Up on Last Week’s Bills
Here are status updates for several of the bills we mentioned in last week’s IEA Reporter, as well as a few more that are back for amendments or new hearings:
Anti-pride flags. House Bill 41, which has already passed the House, was referred to the Senate Education Committee. The committee asked sponsor Rep. Ted Hill (R-Eagle) to add language that clarifies which types of flags would be banned if the bill is passed by the Senate.
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 six-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 advanced to the full House this week.
Bullying. HB 41, which has already passed the full House, came before the Senate Education Committee this week. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Mathias, would alert parents or guardians if their child is involved in a serious incident of school bullying. It heads to the Senate for a full vote.
Professional development for literacy. Sen. Van Burtenshaw (R-Terrenton) introduced a bill that would offer professional development to reading educators. Open to educators who teach K-3, the “multi-year” training would be administered by the Idaho Department of Education. The Senate Education Committee advanced the bill on Thursday; it now heads to the Senate floor.
Teaching cursive. Sen. Nichols sponsored SB 1044, which would require proficiency benchmarks for cursive handwriting. It heads to the Senate floor.
Parent tech awareness program. Sen. Kevin Cook (R-Idaho Falls) introduced legislation to create a parent tech awareness program to combat “online threats.” It is waiting for a hearing in the Senate Education Committee.
Education savings accounts. A voucher bill brought forward by former legislator Steven Thayn would allow public schools, including charters, to offer education savings accounts for tutoring, supplies and other items. It is waiting for a hearing in the Senate Education Committee.
Bible reading in class. The legislation, brought forward by Rep. Jordan Redman (R-Coeur d’Alene), would require all public school teachers to read a passage from the Bible to their classrooms every day “without instruction or comment.” The bill’s text includes “reasonable accommodations” for teachers and students who object. Rep. Redman left most of the introduction of his proposed bill to lobbyist Blaine Conzatti, president of the Idaho Family Policy Center, who said Bible reading was the law in Idaho in 1925 and fits with the state’s history and traditions. The U.S. Supreme Court barred public school-sponsored prayer and Bible reading in 1963. The bill did not advance this week.
Priority access to public charter schools. The House Education Committee voted on Thursday to introduce a bill granting students whose parents are active-duty military priority registration at the state’s public charter schools. The bill is sponsored by Rep. David Leavitt (R-Twin Falls). A vote on the House floor is expected soon.
Rural facilities school funding. Last week, Boise Education Association member Rep. Soñia Galaviz (D-Boise) and Rep. Rod Furniss (R-Rigby) co-sponsored 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 referred to the House Education Committee.
