School Funding
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.
Feds approve Idaho’s flexibility waiver for school funds
State superintendent Debbie Critchfield said the changes should reduce administrative requirements and allow districts and charters to direct funding where it’s most needed.
Idaho Falls listening session echoes calls for enrollment-based funding
Several speakers providing input to state leaders said Idaho’s current attendance‑based model forces districts to predict the future, making budgets uncertain because core costs stay fixed, even when daily attendance drops.
Boise trustees approve contract, salary for incoming superintendent
Wendy Johnson will earn 0.5% more than her predecessor, an annual increase tied to teacher raises in the district.
State officials gather feedback on ‘outdated’ school funding formula
In the first of four statewide listening sessions, parents, administrators and trustees recommended changes to how Idaho distributes money to public schools.
Critchfield launches statewide talks on school funding overhaul
The complex formula hasn’t had a meaningful update since the 1990s, and state policymakers have debated changes for more than a decade, with little progress.