School Funding
School board advocacy group tees up potential legislative priorities
Trustees from across Idaho will vote on resolutions dealing with attendance-based school funding, a controversial fetal development law and local control, among other issues.
‘I didn’t want to compete with myself:’ Critchfield says budget request focuses on one priority
Why is the state superintendent seeking less money for her top legislative priority from 2026? Debbie Critchfield discussed the funding proposal she submitted a week ago — and the political calculus behind it.
‘Almost too good to be true’: West Ada, Middleton break ground on new schools without local measures
See how the two Treasure Valley districts bankrolled projects without raising property taxes.
High-needs program faces spending reduction, as Critchfield focuses on K-12 funding formula
The 2026 Legislature approved $5 million for the new special education fund, state superintendent Debbie Critchfield’s top priority for the session. But Critchfield is seeking only $1.7 million for Year Two.
Charter schools receive $3.6 million in early state payments
Idaho’s education department can provide upfront funding to help new and expanding programs cover startup costs, payroll and other expenses.
Idaho’s average per-pupil spending edges up
INSIDE: See what your district spends and why funding varies so widely across the state.
State GOP platform would eliminate property taxes — and leave schools with a multimillion-dollar funding gap
Senate Republican candidate Scott Herndon led the charge last weekend at the Idaho Republican State Convention to add a plank calling for “revenue sources that do not place a lien on a citizen’s home.”
Early learning funding remains a challenge for Idaho providers, families
Rising costs and shrinking assistance as a result of further possible changes worry childcare leaders, who say enrollment declines can make it harder to sustain programs.
‘Not enough’: Educators call for more K-12 funding at North Idaho listening session
“We can’t take pride in being funded dead last in the country and expect significant improvement,” Coeur d’Alene Superintendent Shon Hocker told attendees at the final stop of a statewide tour seeking input on how to modernize Idaho’s K-12 funding formula.
Some districts cut, others hold steady as new fiscal year nears
Trustees across Idaho are planning expenses for 2026-27 — from teacher salaries to curriculum and utility costs. And this year, many have fewer dollars to spend.