Some familiar faces in education politics want to start their own public charter school, and have started the process for approval.

Former state superintendent and Boise school trustee candidate Branden Durst — along with Miguel DeLuna and Tom Moore, who both ran unsuccessfully for the West Ada school board — plan to open a “school of sport.” 

Brabeion Academy’s website indicates it plans to open for grades K-8 in the fall of 2026, but it has not received authorization from the Idaho Public Charter School Commission or an area school district, which is required to receive state funding. 

The school’s initial petition to the charter commission will present Brabeion as a secular school. But Brabeion Academy could morph into a Christian charter school, Durst told Idaho Education News. 

“If there’s interest from our parents to move in the direction (of a Christian charter school), then we’ll certainly consider that,” Durst said. “I don’t think there’s anything to prevent us from doing so.”

The proposed charter describes itself as “Idaho’s first public school of sport,” built on “three pillars:” ethical foundations, critical thinking, physical development and athletics.

Durst described Brabeion as a “Christian public charter school” in a February 2024 X post. Durst is a self-described Christian populist Republican, and he chairs Brabeion’s board of trustees.

Idaho’s charter commission, which oversees most of Idaho’s 75 charters, has received initial paperwork from Brabeion, with the school and commissioners working through some early questions about the proposal, said Matthew Reiber, the State Board of Education’s external affairs and strategy officer.

“We know there’s a significant demand for schools like ours. We anticipate that, once we do a full push, filling our enrollment numbers will be very easy,” said Durst.

Currently, public charter schools in Idaho must be secular, according to state law. And leading charter advocates have opposed efforts elsewhere to open religious charters. 

Earlier this year, the Idaho Charter School Network signed onto an amicus brief urging the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold a ruling in Oklahoma that prohibited the Catholic Church from opening a public charter school. In May, the Supreme Court announced that it was evenly divided on the issue, effectively upholding the Oklahoma ruling and maintaining the status of Idaho charters as secular. 

But Durst believes his vision for a Christian charter is a possibility. 

“There’s no precedent right now in the state of Idaho related to the prohibition or permission of a religious charter school, so we believe it’s a non-factor,” Durst said.

“Given the way the Supreme Court ruled on the case from Oklahoma, it’s still our opinion that it is constitutional to have religious charter schools. And so all of our board members are open to that potential move, but we’re taking it one step at a time.”

The Brabeion Academy board of trustees

• Board Chair Branden Durst is a former Democrat legislator turned Christian populist Republican. He served as the quasi-superintendent of the West Bonner County School District for three months before seemingly resigning from the North Idaho district. He is embroiled in an ongoing lawsuit against the district. Durst holds an education specialist’s degree from Boise State University.
• Board President Miguel DeLuna served a 35-year career in California law enforcement before moving to Idaho. DeLuna ran unsuccessfully for the West Ada board of trustees in 2023 and Eagle Sewer District in May this year. He holds an associate of arts degree in general education from Diablo Valley College in California.
• Vice Chair and Treasurer Tom Moore ran alongside DeLuna for the West Ada board in 2023. He lost the trustee spot to René Ozuna. Moore is a retired Navy aviator and he holds a master in business administration from National University.
• Board Secretary Julie Dillehay is Durst’s mother and a retired counselor in the Vallivue School District. She holds an education specialist’s degree from the University of Idaho.
• Trustee Laura Warden is a “veteran homeschooler with 15 years of home education experience,” according to her biography on Brabeion’s website, where she’s also described as a devoted follower of Jesus. Warden is the author of two Christian homeschooling books.

Brabeion’s curriculum

Brabeion is planning to teach the Hillsdale 1776 curriculum, a free curriculum created by Hillsdale College, a conservative Christian school in Michigan. Brabeion also plans to use supplemental materials for social studies from PragerU, another conservative curriculum provider.

Hillsdale curriculum is also used by The American Classical Schools of Idaho, a charter network with schools in Bonners Ferry, Eagle and Fruitland, which is opening a new location in Kuna next year.

Durst said he wants to establish a public school rather than a private school because “the public square should have a lot of different options for parents and not everybody wants to do it through private education.”

Durst also said opponents of taxpayer funding for private schools — through vouchers or other mechanisms, like Idaho’s new tax credit —  are part of the reason he finds it necessary to take the charter route. 

“If they were more open to allowing expansive private school options, we wouldn’t have a need, necessarily. But because they’re so adamantly opposed and frankly, obstinate, they’re forcing our hand.”

Brabeion does not have a physical location

Durst said Brabeion’s goal is to build a facility outside of Nampa, near the Canyon County-Ada County border. 

“We’re still working on our facility plan. It’s not been finalized yet. I know the statute doesn’t require it to be done yet, but we’ve got some potential options we’re looking at right now,” said Durst.