A bill that seemed straightforward — giving military families preference in charter school lotteries — spurred a lengthy discussion Tuesday, after the Mountain Home School District’s superintendent said it’s aimed at creating a “military charter school.” 

The legislation, from the Idaho Charter School Network, would add children of active- or reserve-duty military members to a list of preferences that charter schools can use for lottery-based enrollments. Military children could be third on the list, after the children of charter founders and siblings — including foster siblings — of students already attending the school.

Sponsoring Rep. David Leavitt, R-Twin Falls, said military members are often ordered to move between duty stations, making it difficult to enroll in charter schools, which often have waitlists.

“It takes maybe a couple years for them to get to the top,” he told the House Education Committee. “By the time that individual gets to the charter school, it’s time for new orders.”

But Mountain Home Superintendent James Gilbert said the bill would allow a proposed public charter school to sweep up military families currently enrolled in the district.

“We’re now building or proposing charter schools to target certain student demographics,” Gilbert said. “To me, that certainly seems less than fair.”

Gilbert didn’t reference the proposed charter by name. But American Classical Schools of Idaho teased on social media a new charter in Mountain Home. One in five Mountain Home district students come from military families, Gilbert said. 

The U.S. Department of War, formerly the Department of Defense, last month committed $24 million to rebuild the district’s Stephenson Elementary. The K-4 school is located on the Mountain Home Air Force Base, with about 90% of students coming from military families.

Blake Youde, a lobbyist for the Charter School Network, responded that the bill would apply to roughly 3,000 military families across the state, not just in Mountain Home. The lottery preference would kick in only after a charter reaches its enrollment cap. 

“I don’t think that we’re necessarily pitting a charter, or the notion of a charter, against a single district,” he said. 

Multiple active-duty military members spoke in favor of the proposal during a public hearing. Christopher Knaus, a 17-year U.S. Air Force airman, said the bill would recognize that military moves aren’t elective. Waitlist preference would open up access to “high-quality” charter schools. 

“Every mission we accomplish overseas is only possible because of the strength of the families who hold everything together at home,” Knaus said. 

House Education unanimously supported the bill after more than an hour of public comment and questions from lawmakers. 

The committee advanced a replacement for House Bill 657. The new version, which will have a new bill number when it reaches the House, includes amended language that gives charters more flexibility to decide where they put military-affiliated students on their lottery preference lists. 

Rep. Chris Mathias said he was “struggling” to find a logical reason to oppose the bill.

“The only evidence we’ve been offered is that there might be a charter school and it might lead to an exodus of students that might hurt one district,” said Mathias, a Boise Democrat and U.S. Coast Guard veteran. “That, to me, is too much potential and possibilities.”

Rep. Barbara Ehardt said, “Of course, I’m in favor of this,” pointing to comments from military families who testified. “We have just heard … how much this means to them.” 

The Idaho Falls Republican also suggested that the committee in the future limit public testimony that “appears to do misdirection. … I believe that we need to be careful, and we need to be pointed and (stick) with what is actually being addressed in the legislation.”

House passes mandatory moment of silence bill

It took more than a minute, but the House passed a bill that would mandate a morning moment of silence in school.

House Bill 623 would require schools to set aside 60 seconds each morning to allow students to “reflect, meditate, pray, or engage in another silent activity.” Teachers would not be allowed to direct the way students spend the silent period.

The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Bruce Skaug, R-Nampa, said HB 623 would not bring organized prayer into schools. But he said the moment of silence would have “a positive objective result” and foster student mental health — as it has in the 34 other states with similar laws on the books.

Debate centered on whether the moment of silence represented another state mandate.

“I love the idea, but I do not believe we need one more regulation on our local schools,” said Rep. Stephanie Mickelsen, R-Idaho Falls.

Supporters downplayed the impact on local schools.

“I don’t think this is a burdensome thing,” said Rep. Dale Hawkins, R-Fernwood, chairman of the House Education Committee. “It’s a simple thing that I think everyone can adjust to.”

The debate had a brief bit of theatrics.

Rep. Steve Berch, D-Boise, rose to debate, but said nothing for about 10 seconds, staring down at his wristwatch. House Speaker Mike Moyle, R-Star, called the ploy a “prop,” and admonished Berch to debate. Berch then spoke against the bill.

The bill passed 51-17, thwarting bipartisan opposition, and now goes to the Senate.

Bill creating ‘nontraditional pathways’ for school administrators advances

Lawmakers Tuesday advanced a bill loosening qualifications for public school administrators  — after advocacy groups representing administrators and trustees unsuccessfully requested changes to the bill. 

House Bill 711 would create two “nontraditional pathways” for non-certified applicants to become public school superintendents and principals: 

• The “grow your own” pathway is designed for educators who have at least five years of experience but require leadership development. 
• The “executive leadership” pathway would allow military leaders, private sector executives, nonprofit leaders and government officials without education experience to become administrators. 

“For the small districts, there’s a huge burden to reach out and find somebody to be a principal or superintendent,” said Rep. Dale Hawkins, a Republican from Fernwood and chairman of the House Education Committee. “We need to come up with some options with the ever-changing things that are going on in our state.”

Both pathways would require a bachelor’s degree, a successful background check and sponsorship from a public school district. The hired administrators would also have to complete a mentorship program. 

State superintendent Debbie Critchfield spoke in favor of the bill Tuesday.

“We’re trying to expand the candidates that would be eligible in our small communities,” said the Republican superintendent. “It doesn’t obligate a district to entertain anyone’s resume.”

The Idaho School Boards Association (ISBA) and Idaho Association of School Administrators (IASA) sought bill amendments. 

ISBA argued that hiring an administrator under the “executive leadership” pathway should require a unanimous vote by trustees — not just a majority vote. This would ensure that “the whole board is committed to absorbing that risk and liability,” said Deputy Director Quinn Perry. The school boards’ group also objected to opening up state fund reserves for trustees to support administrator mentorship programs. 

IASA opposed allowing public school administrators to have less than a master’s degree. Reducing the minimum requirement to a bachelor’s degree could set up administrators for failure, said Andy Grover, the group’s executive director and a former superintendent. 

“The thing with a master’s degree in education, it’s not just a credential,” he said. “It represents structural preparation in school law, finance, data analysis, instructional leadership and ethics. These aren’t intuitive skills. They’re all learned.”

The House Education Committee approved HB 711 on a party-line vote without amendments. 

It now goes to the full House. 

Governor signs bill making president searches mostly secret

The State Board of Education can now shift its stalled search to select a new Boise State University president almost entirely behind closed doors.

Gov. Brad Little signed Senate Bill 1225 Tuesday.

The new law allows presidential search committees to submit the name of a single finalist to the State Board. The board would then have to wait at least 10 business days before making a hire.

Previously, state law required the State Board to release the names of five finalists. Board members bemoaned this requirement in their search for former Boise State president Marlene Tromp’s replacement. Applicants withdrew after learning their names would be publicized, they said.

SB 1225 takes effect immediately.

Only one lawmaker opposed the bill in House and Senate votes: Rep. John Gannon, D-Boise.

House adopts federal school choice program

A school choice bill passed the House Tuesday — with no discussion and no dissenting votes.

House Bill 731 sets the framework for a federal school choice program folded into President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill.

The Idaho Department of Education will maintain a list of “scholarship granting organizations,” or SGOs. Donors to SGOs can receive federal tax credits of up to $1,700. Scholarship recipients could use the money for private or public education programs.

HB 731 essentially mirrors something Gov. Brad Little did over a month ago — when he quietly issued an executive order joining the federal program. House Speaker Mike Moyle has said the state should opt in by law, since executive orders can come and go.

With the House’s 68-0 vote, HB 731 goes to the Senate.

Last dance for homeschooler ‘social pass’ bill?

After dancing around a series of logistical and safety questions, the Senate Education Committee sidetracked a bill to enable homeschoolers to attend high school social events.

In its current form, Senate Bill 1290, the social access pass bill, is probably dead. But several committee members urged the bill’s sponsor to keep working on it.

The “Participation in Recreation Outside of Matriculation Act,” or “PROM Act,” would allow homeschoolers to buy a $25 social pass for social events or college fairs. They would also have to pay any additional event fees, as other students do.

“At the end of the day, this is about letting kids go to a dance,” said the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Josh Kohl, R-Twin Falls.

Even homeschoolers gave the bill mixed reviews.

Audra Talley, a board member with Homeschool Idaho, feared that SB 1290 would allow schools to create a registry of homeschool families. She said homeschool families have long tried to stay outside of the public education system — while asking for no help from state government. “This bill subverts what has been an effective strategy for years.”

Will Malone, a homeschooling father from Filer, said he fully supports the bill — while recognizing that some homeschool families would not want to have a connection with public schools. “This bill does not force them to do that, but it does provide opportunity.”

Committee members raised a range of questions.

Sen. Janie Ward-Engelking, D-Boise, said she was worried that a student could be expelled from a public high school, shift to homeschooling, and show up at the high school’s events — a “precarious” situation for schools and potentially a “dangerous” situation for kids.

Sen. Van Burtenshaw, R-Terreton, asked Kohl if public schools would wind up assuming liability for homeschool students at an event.

“That’s a tough question,” Kohl said.

Kohl asked the committee to send the bill to the floor for amendments — and said he had several changes in mind. For example, he said he had an amendment that would make it clear a high school could revoke a social pass.

The committee voted to hold SB 1290, rather than allowing any senator to offer any amendment. But Kohl could be working against time, since any new bill would have to start back up from scratch.

Senate Education sails through three House-passed bills

In other action Tuesday, Senate Education quickly and unanimously passed a trio of House-passed bills.

School facilities fund. House Bill 608 would remove one requirement for schools hoping to use money from the state’s $50.5 million Public School Facilities Cooperative Fund. As the law now stands, districts must rerun an unsuccessful bond issue before applying for a share of the money. This bill would allow any district to apply for the fund, as long as it has run a bond issue within the past two years.

Educator investigations. House Bill 635 would require the state’s Professional Standards Commission to turn over any evidence of criminal behavior to law enforcement. The PSC, a volunteer administrative board, has the authority to approve, suspend and revoke teaching and administrative certificates.

Property tax relief funds. House Bill 636 would allow school districts to use money from a 2023 property tax law in a new way. Districts would be able to use these state funds for lease-purchase agreements — as long as they have used previous state payments to retire bonds and levies, as the law now requires.

STEM Action Center reorganization bill introduced

Reorganizing the state’s STEM Action Center has already been in the works.

A bill introduced Tuesday would put the move into motion — shifting the center under the umbrella of the state’s Workforce Development Council.

The consolidation would save the state about $330,000 in tax dollars and eliminate two full-time positions. And one of the bill’s co-sponsors said he hopes the Workforce Development Council will do a better job of showing how action center programs are preparing students for science, technology, engineering and math careers.

“I want to see … whether our taxpayer dollars are actually making a difference,” said Rep. Josh Tanner, R-Eagle, House co-chair of the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee.

Senate Education Committee Chairman Dave Lent, R-Idaho Falls, is co-sponsoring the bill.

The House Education Committee voted to introduce the bill, setting the stage for a future public hearing.

House passes tweak to digital content grant awards

The House agreed to change Idaho’s approach to handing out money for digital content and curriculum.

The state now awards the $15,000 grants on a first-come, first-served basis. “(It’s) ‘The Hunger Games’ of grant funding,” said Rep. Jerald Raymond, R-Menan.

Raymond’s House Bill 599 would switch to a needs-based distribution model.

Without debate, the House passed the bill 68-0, sending it to the Senate.