The Senate voted to repeal the Empowering Parents program Thursday. 

Supporters of Senate Bill 1142 argued that the microgrant program for education-related expenses — eligible to public, private and home-school students — has outlived its charter. 

The Legislature in 2020 created Empowering Parents — called “Strong Families, Strong Students” at the time — to help parents fund the cost of home-learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally funded with federal pandemic relief, lawmakers in 2022 converted Empowering Parents into a $30 million ongoing program using state funds.

Today, most of the money is funding electronics such as laptops and tablets, said Sen. Camille Blaylock, who is sponsoring the repeal bill. 

“The emergency that justified this program is over,” said Blaylock, R-Caldwell. “…This grant program was meant to be a temporary solution to a temporary problem.”

The Senate voted 32-3 to advance SB 1142. The repeal would take effect June 30. 

The proposal comes after the Legislature passed and Gov. Brad Little signed House Bill 93. The tax credit program offers non-public school students state funds for education expenses, including private school tuition. Tuition is not an eligible expense for Empowering Parents grants. 

HB 93 prohibits tax credit recipients from claiming expenses already funded through Empowering Parents. But it doesn’t bar parents from using both programs for separate education expenses.

Only Sen. Cindy Carlson debated against repealing Empowering Parents Thursday. “I believe that the funding awards probably need to be scrutinized a little better,” said Carlson, R-Riggins, “but at this time, it may be a little premature.”

SB 1142 now heads to the House. 

About-face: House committee endorses a Launch revamp

A bill to revamp Idaho Launch is on a fast track to the House floor, after three conservative Republicans flipped their votes.

The new Launch bill isn’t much different than a version that died Wednesday. But on Thursday morning, the House Education Committee reconvened for a hastily arranged do-over.

This time, the committee voted 9-5 to send the new Launch bill straight to the House floor, with the recommendation that it pass. Reps. Kent Marmon of Caldwell, Steve Tanner of Nampa and Tony Wisniewski of Post Falls — three Launch opponents — voted yes Thursday, after casting critical no votes in committee Wednesday.

“I would love to see us going a lot farther with Launch,” Marmon said, “but unfortunately that’s not going to happen this year.”

Tanner also signed onto the revamp, with similar reservations. “I understand it’s a better version of Launch than we’ve previously had.”

On Wednesday, Wisniewski debated at length against the Launch reboot. He said nothing during Thursday’s brief committee hearing.

The resurrected bill would make several changes to Launch, a controversial program that provides high school graduates with up to $8,000 for college or job training. The bill would emphasize short-term job training, rather than four-year degrees. It could allow some leftover Launch dollars to go into graduate programs in health care fields, or go to adult learners. And the bill would create a new nine-person committee — including six legislators — which would determine the high-demand careers that would qualify a student for a Launch grant.

“I believe this is the best we can do at this point,” said Rep. Lance Clow, R-Twin Falls, who is co-sponsoring the bill with Rep. Steve Miller, R-Fairfield.

Virtual charter school bill dies on Senate floor without a vote

A bill that would have made major changes to virtual charter school governance quietly died on the Senate floor Thursday.

Without considering Senate Bill 1188, the Senate agreed to send it back to committee, effectively killing it for the session. The bill would have moved the Idaho Home Learning Academy, a virtual charter with about 8,000 students, under the purview of the Idaho State Charter School Commission.

Sponsoring Sen. Dave Lent told Idaho Education News that the clock ran out before concerns from virtual school leaders could be addressed, and key people weren’t included in discussions early enough in the legislative session. “I take responsibility for that,” said Lent, R-Idaho Falls.

The issue will likely come up again next session, Lent said.

He also acknowledged concerns that the bill seemed rushed. “I just wanted to be sensitive to that and say, ‘Okay, we understand, we hear you.'”

Senate approves CTE capacity, university facilities funding

The Senate OK’d a handful of education budgets Thursday — including one of Gov. Brad Little’s workforce training priorities. 

All of the budget bills now head to the governor’s desk. 

If approved, they would fund: 

Workforce training capacity. Little’s proposal sends $10 million to six career-technical schools to build capacity. Idaho State University, Lewis-Clark State College and Idaho’s four community colleges would get the money. House Bill 418 passed 27-7. 

University facilities. Three major university facilities projects would be funded from the state’s permanent building fund, which is furnished by taxes on beer and tobacco as well as the state’s lottery, among other sources. House Bill 425 passed 25-10. The projects include labs at Boise State University’s Micron Center ($2.5 million), a life sciences complex at Idaho State University ($14 million) and a military science and veterans’ assistance center ($8 million). 

Community college enrollment growth. This bill gives community colleges an additional $1.7 million to account for growing enrollment. House Bill 417 passed 30-5. 

STEM Action Center computers. This bill gives the STEM Action Center $9,900 for new computers. House Bill 420 passed 31-2.