In Idaho, 32 public virtual schools serve more than 18,500 students, a growing trend since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Some families see online public school as a homeschooling hybrid. Others use virtual programs to flex around a busy sports schedule, or to fit the needs of struggling students.

For example, Idaho Connects Online School (ICON) serves students in residential treatment. Six virtual schools specifically identify as "alternative" schools serving students who may have dropped out of a more traditional program.

Online school enrollment in Idaho spiked post-pandemic with more than 21,000 students enrolled in 2021. That number has fluctuated since then but has dropped nowhere near the pre-pandemic enrollment of below 7,000 students in 2019.

The programs have grown quickly and, critics argue, with little oversight. Lawmakers are expected to take up this issue in the 2026 session.

One online school in particular, the Idaho Home Learning Academy, which enrolls 40% of the state's virtual students, has drawn ire from legislators who point to the school's lagging test scores and question its use of state funds.

A report from the Legislature's Office of Performance Evaluations found that the school sent $12.6 million in "supplemental learning funds" to families, some of which went to things like streaming services and gardening supplies.

But IHLA is only one of dozens of online schools in the state. Here is a look at Idaho's online schools and how they operate.

 

Who pays for it?

Just like traditional brick-and-mortar public schools, public online schools receive state funds.

 

Test scores

Online schools have historically struggled with standardized tests.

One virtual school, Gem Prep Online, surpassed the state average for students reading at grade level on the Idaho Reading Indicator. 

Some schools had as low as 45% of students in grades K-3 reading at grade level.

Virtual schools also struggled on the Idaho Standards Achievement Test (ISAT) with Gem Prep Online again being ranked highest with 77% proficient in English language arts.

All other virtual schools had less than 45% of students proficient in ELA.

In math, 65% of Gem Prep Online students were proficient. The second-highest proficiency rate was at Snake River online with 30.3%, the rest of online school scores were below 30% proficient.

Virtual schools (100 or more test-takers) — Math proficiency

School	Percent, proficient or higher	Number of test-takers
1. Gem Prep: Online	65.0	200
2. Snake River Online	30.3	1,088
3. Idaho Virtual Academy	28.3	803
4. Bear Lake Online Learning	26.6	133
5. Idaho Home Learning Academy (Oneida)	25.3	4,372
6. Bonneville Online Elementary	25.0	228
7. Inspire Virtual Academy	20.0	561
8. Sugar-Salem Online	18.5	341

 

Charter vs. in-district

There are 14 virtual charter schools in Idaho. The oldest, Richard McKenna Online Charter High School, opened in 2001.

All the virtual charters, except for IHLA, are authorized by the Idaho Public Charter School Commission. That means the schools have no connection to an Idaho school district and instead are overseen by the charter commission.

IHLA was an in-district online school until the fall of 2024. It then switched to a virtual charter, authorized by Oneida School District, ahead of the 2024-25 school year.

In-district online schools function similarly to opening a new brick-and-mortar school and fall under the same rules and regulations as any other school in a district.

Before 2020, there were two online schools both in the Bonneville School District. Now there are 18 in-district virtual schools across 15 school districts.

Many of those in-district schools are run as a partnership between the district and private companies.

The Idaho Digital Learning Alliance is one of the state's most widely known online course options, providing supplemental classes for students.

Rural schools frequently use IDLA if they cannot offer the variety of electives students are looking for.  Students can use IDLA if they are far ahead of their grade level — or to graduate early, recover credits, or take college credit courses.

IDLA courses are available only to students enrolled in an Idaho public school.

 

Private company involvement

While IHLA has received the most criticism for siphoning funds to private companies, it's not the only Idaho virtual school that uses the practice.

An Idaho-based company, Overture, runs six of Idaho's in-district schools, providing the online platform and handling payments to families.

Other virtual schools use curriculum directly from private companies. Bonneville Online uses Williamsburg Learning. Idaho Virtual Academy uses K12.

 

Payments to families

At least nine Idaho schools give families direct payments, ranging from $250 to $1,800.

Those payments are supposed to cover learning related materials like computers, internet, etc. However, this fall's report on IHLA found the process "creates opportunities for misuse" with families buying items such as paddle boards or paying for private school classes.

IHLA families receive between $1,700 to $1,800 in "supplemental learning funds." The report this fall found that 71% of parents would pull their kids out of IHLA if these payments went away.

Families in Overture-run schools receive $1,700 for students above first grade and $850 for kindergarteners.

Some schools offer significantly smaller reimbursements. Wilder Academy of Virtual Education provides $250 for home technology needs, according to its website.

EdNews Data Analyst Randy Schrader contributed to this story.