The House Education Committee Wednesday considered two bills to update state funding formulas for teachers and for transportation costs. 

Teacher-to-student ratio funding

The committee nearly unanimously voted to advance House Bill 305, which would eliminate part of a state law that penalizes school districts for having above average teacher-to-student ratios. 

During the Great Recession, Idaho school districts were given flexibility — in the form of a “staff allowance” — to employ 9.5% fewer teaching positions than the amount funded by the state. Districts can use these funds to plug holes in their budgets. 

In 2016, amid fears that this flexibility would lead to larger class sizes, the Legislature added the penalty. It permanently shaves a percentage point off the 9.5% for every year that a district’s student-to-teacher ratio is above the statewide average — currently 17-1. 

HB 305 — sponsored by Reps. Soñia Galaviz, D-Boise, and Wendy Horman, R-Idaho Falls — would repeal the penalty. 

“What we’re asking here is for some flexibility, continuity, a modest percentage…for every district,” Galaviz said, “that they might be able to meet the needs of their schools, of their students, of their patrons, and not pass on a financial burden to their community through levies.”

A handful of public school superintendents spoke in favor of the bill. Grace School District superintendent Jason Moss said his district’s staff allowance is down to 6.5%, which costs the district over $100,000 annually. 

“We need this staff allowance to pay for our special education paraprofessionals in preschool, and give us the flexibility to help us pay those vital employees.”

Only Rep. Kyle Harris voted against sending the bill to the full House. Harris, R-Lewiston, said he was concerned about striking the penalty language without replacing it. 

“I don’t necessarily have an issue with what this bill is trying to do. I have more of an issue with the process that’s being taken to do it.”

Transportation funding 

The committee punted a vote on a bill that would make two major changes to public school transportation funding. 

House Bill 293 would change state reimbursements from a 50% to 85% scale to a flat 85%. It would also allow districts to seek vehicle reimbursement for alternatives to yellow school buses, often used to transport students to after-school activities.

“Instead of having to run the big, yellow bus all the way out, they can just run out with a passenger car or a van that will fit them,” said Rep. Dan Garner, R-Clifton, who’s co-sponsoring the bill with Rep. Jack Nelsen, R-Jerome. 

A few committee Republicans balked at the changes after discovering that online schools can seek reimbursement for internet and phone costs through the transportation formula. Nelsen said he would be amenable to addressing virtual schools in a replacement bill. 

“I would suggest that we continue this conversation,” said Rep. Douglas Pickett, a Republican from Oakley and chairman of the committee. It “seems like there’s a lot of questions.”

The committee voted to hold the bill until March 5.

Senators keep required speech course, tweak social studies standards

The Senate Education Committee put off a change in Idaho graduation requirements — and some controversial changes in social studies standards.

The committee voted Wednesday on several state education rules, weighing in on an intricate process between the Senate and the House.

Graduation requirements. The Senate split the difference and approved one change, adding a digital literacy requirement. But the Senate decided to keep a speech requirement on the books, at least for the time being.

The digital literacy requirement has been one of state superintendent Debbie Critchfield’s top priorities for months. The proposed class would incorporate computer science, internet safety and digital citizenship.

But the proposal came with a tradeoff: dropping a required high school speech class. Critchfield suggested the swap in order to keep Idaho’s graduation threshold unchanged at 46 credits.

The public pushback has centered not on the digital literacy class, but on the proposal to drop the speech requirement.

Social studies standards. All of Idaho’s social studies standards are up for review — a total of 413 standards spread across 12 courses in all grade levels, said Greg Wilson, Critchfield’s chief of staff.

The controversy centers around two of the 12 subject areas: fourth-grade history, an Idaho history course; and a U.S. history unit that stretches from the colonization of America through the post-Civil War industrial age.

Committee members didn’t go into specifics about the standards. Sen. Cindy Carlson, R-Riggins, made a more sweeping motion to reject all the new social studies standards. She said she was acting in concert with House committee members. “We have a concern about the agendas.”

Her motion failed, with only Sen. Christy Zito, R-Mountain Home, joining in support. The committee then voted to accept standards in 10 of the 12 subject areas, and hold off on changes in the Idaho history course and the U.S. history unit.

Agency rules, when passed, have the force of law. Both education committees have the ability to reject agency rules, in whole or in part. Critchfield’s staff is hoping to find consensus between the House and Senate committees, Wilson said after Wednesday’s hearing.

New rural school facilities bill introduced 

A new bill setting aside bridge funding for rural school facilities projects emerged Wednesday. 

The bipartisan proposal replaces a previous bill that House Speaker Mike Moyle held at his desk. Moyle, R-Star, is a co-sponsor of the new bill along with Reps. Soñia Galaviz, D-Boise; Rod Furniss, R-Rigby; and Douglas Pickett, R-Oakley. 

The new version similarly attempts to spark a dormant state fund by increasing it from $25.5 million to $50.5 million and removing requirements that have long deterred school districts from using it. Formed after the Idaho Supreme Court in 2005 directed the Legislature to address school facilities, the school facilities cooperative fund requires that recipients surrender to state supervision for the duration of a construction project. Only one district has used the fund under these terms. 

The bill would remove the supervisory requirement for districts requesting $5 million or less. This would help Salmon reach its fundraising goal for a new school building after voters approved a $20 million bond last year. A group of volunteers leading an effort to raise another $10 million could come up about $3 million short, Furniss said last month. 

Beneficiaries of the cooperative fund would have to repay the state through House Bill 292’s property tax relief fund, after first paying off bond debt. 

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

Senate approves ‘medical freedom’ bill affecting schools

The Senate approved a bill that would bar schools from requiring “medical interventions” for patrons and employees. 

Sponsoring Sen. Dan Foreman, R-Moscow, framed Senate Bill 1023 as a protection against “tyranny.”

SB 1023 would amend the existing “Coronavirus Stop Act.” The 2023 law prohibited public entities and businesses from requiring COVID-19 vaccines as a condition of employment. 

The bill expands this prohibition to include “medical interventions”  and adds that schools “shall not mandate a medical intervention for any person to attend school, enter campus or school buildings or be employed by the school.”

Medical interventions are defined as “a procedure, treatment, device, drug injection, medication or action taken to diagnose, prevent or cure a disease or alter the health or biological function of a person.”

During a public hearing earlier this month, a school nurse said the bill would tie the hands of health care professionals seeking to inform school patrons about infectious diseases. 

The Senate approved the bill by a 19-14 vote, and it now heads to the House. 

Bill extending levy terms gets unanimous approval in Senate

Without debate, the Senate unanimously approved a bill extending maximum supplemental levy terms from two years to six years. 

“There’s a lot of dissension in our communities, and I think doing this every four years or every six years might be more appropriate than every two years,” said sponsoring Sen. Ben Toews, R-Coeur d’Alene. 

The bill would also bar districts from asking voters for continuous supplemental levies — levies with indefinite terms. It wouldn’t nullify existing continuous levies — six districts have them — but it would prohibit districts from asking for continuous levies in the future.

Senate Bill 1094 now heads to the House. 

Senate rejects bill creating adult diploma program

The Senate rejected a bill that would have established a $1.5 million pilot program for businesses and nonprofits to provide instruction leading to an accredited high school diploma. 

There are 127,000 Idaho adults with some high school education but no diploma, said sponsoring Sen. Lori Den Hartog, R-Meridian. Senate Bill 1093 would have helped employers “who are looking to advance employees with talents who may just not have that accredited high school diploma.” 

Senators voted down the bill 14-21. Nampa Republican Sen. Ben Adams, one of the opponents, said the bill is “not necessary.” 

“It’s a nice little piece, but it’s definitely in addition to what is required and available.”

Senate passes digital safety bill

The Senate passed an online security bill Wednesday — over some opposition.

Senate Bill 1070 calls on the Idaho Department of Education to develop or acquire an online digital safety program by July 1. According to the bill’s statement of purpose, the program would instruct students of the risks associated with personal and school-issued devices, “including cyber threats, digital exploitation, and social media risks.”

The state has already found a program that meets these criteria, and several districts have offered it already, said Sen. Kevin Cook, R-Idaho Falls, the bill’s sponsor.

Sen. Christy Zito, R-Mountain Home, debated against the bill. If school-issued laptops and Chromebooks are risky enough to merit a warning, she said, “We should not send them home.”

The bill passed, 24-11, and goes to the House.

Senate passes career ladder update

The Senate passed a bill to update the numbers in Idaho’s teacher salary law.

Senate Bill 1095 is largely a paperwork bill. It changes the salary tables to reflect spending from 2023 and 2024 — when lawmakers sent out added money equivalent to $6,359 for each teaching position.

Debate was limited. But Sen. Lori Den Hartog, R-Meridian, noted that the money never delivered the across-the-board raises teachers were told to expect. “That is not what happened in our communities, for a number of reasons,” said Den Hartog, who supported the bill.

With Wednesday’s 31-4 vote, the bill heads to the House.