Legislative budget-writers pared back one of Gov. Brad Little’s education priorities Tuesday.

They agreed to put $5 million into workforce capacity grants — money designed to help colleges and universities expand their courses in high-demand fields.

Little wanted $15 million for the public-private partnership, but that proposal had little support on the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee. And the $5 million proposal that survived opposition from JFAC hardliners, suggesting a fragile, thin coalition on the divided committee.

“The motion reflects what I believe to be a compromise,” said Rep. James Petzke, R-Meridian, pushing for the $5 million.

The state’s four-year schools all saw enrollment growth, due to the first class of Idaho Launch aid recipients, and the $5 million would help grow nursing and engineering programs at Boise State University and the University of Idaho, said Sen. Janie Ward-Engelking, D-Boise.

Two senators — James Woodward, R-Sagle, and Melissa Wintrow, D-Boise — made a bipartisan push for the $15 million. Wintrow lamented the Legislature’s budgeting priorities, which fund tax cuts ahead of needed investments. “Let’s fix our roof before we go on vacation,” she said.

Sen. Kevin Cook argued for the $5 million, deferring to Petzke and the other JFAC members who worked up the budget. “I’m going to put my faith that the subgroup did as much as they could,” said Cook, R-Idaho Falls.

The $15 million motion failed on a lopsided 2-18 vote. The $5 million proposal then passed on a 13-7 vote, securing majorities from JFAC’s House and Senate members.

One of Little’s other education priorities fared better Tuesday.

JFAC added $10 million to the career-technical education budget, to build capacity in the technical schools. Six institutions — Idaho State University, Lewis-Clark State College and Idaho’s four community colleges — would get an equal share of this money.

JFAC passed the career-technical budget on a 14-6 vote.

These budget bills would still have to pass the House and the Senate.

Meanwhile, JFAC’s education-related work is probably not done. As the session heads into its final weeks, any followup budgets for K-12 or higher education would need to start in the committee.

Senate kills pre-K literacy program bill

The Senate rejected a bill to allow schools to offer literacy programs for pre-K students.

Senate Bill 1145 would have allowed optional “early literacy readiness programs,” open to 4- and 5-year-old children. School districts and charter schools would have been allowed to use existing literacy money for the new programs.

“This is not more spending,” said the bill’s co-sponsor, Sen. Mark Harris, R-Soda Springs. “It allows money to be spent more efficiently.”

Hardline conservatives objected at moving state dollars into pre-kindergarten programs — an idea the Legislature has rejected repeatedly for decades.

“This is government creep,” said Sen. Joshua Kohl, R-Twin Falls.

The state’s literacy spending has mushroomed from $9.1 million to $72.8 million per year, “and yet our proficiency in reading has barely improved,” said Sen. Tammy Nichols, R-Middleton. “We should be looking at the results before expanding more government intervention.”

Idaho’s reading scores have been mixed. Last fall, 59.5% of K-3 students tested at grade level on the Idaho Reading Indicator, up nearly 10 percentage points from 2020. But spring IRI scores have regressed; in 2024, 66.5% of K-3 students were at grade level, down from pre-pandemic levels.

SB 1145 died on a 14-21. Eight of the Senate’s 29 Republicans joined the Senate’s six Democrats in support.

Literacy coaching bill heads to governor

Later on Tuesday, the House narrowly approved $5 million in literacy coaching for K-3 teachers.

Like the pre-K funding debate in the Senate, Senate Bill 1069 divided Republicans over whether to spend more money on literacy amid stagnant reading test scores.

The bill would allow teachers across the state to participate in the Striving to Meet Achievement in Reading Together (SMART) program and train in the science of reading. Sixty Idaho classrooms have implemented SMART, said sponsoring Rep. Jerald Raymond, and there’s a lengthy waiting list of teachers hoping to participate.  

Raymond, R-Menan, pointed to committee testimony from educators who have seen results. Between 81% and 94% of students are testing at grade level in two Idaho Falls elementary schools where most teachers completed SMART training, one superintendent told the House Education Committee Friday. 

“This, in my opinion, is probably one of the most important bills we’ll hear this session,” Raymond said. “It is so vital that our kids learn to read and comprehend what they’re reading. It’s the key to success for their future.”

But opponents focused on broader test scores — 66.5% of K-3 students statewide are reading at grade level — and echoed the increase in literacy spending mentioned during Tuesday’s Senate pre-K debate — nearly $73 million annually.

Students are “still not able to read,” said Rep. Vito Barbieri, R-Dalton Gardens. “I’m astounded at how much money we’re giving to education…The money is pouring in. The test scores are not going up.”

The House voted 40-30 to approve the bill. It now goes to Gov. Brad Little’s desk.

Classroom flag prohibition heads to governor

A bill that would prohibit political and ideological flags from public school classrooms is heading to Gov. Brad Little’s desk. 

House Republicans on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved House Bill 41, after the Senate made amendments to define flags, banners and what it means to display them. 

The bill includes a lengthy list of exceptions, including most official flags of nations, states and tribes, among others. The Idaho Department of Education is tasked with enforcing the prohibition. 

One House Republican — Rep. Rick Cheatum of Pocatello — joined nine Democrats in opposition Tuesday.

House bill calls for new high school civics test

A new bill would direct the Idaho Department of Education to create a new civics test for high school students. 

Currently, state law requires that students take the 100-question civics test used for citizen naturalization before they graduate from high school. The information included in the test is “fairly…trivial,” said sponsoring Rep. Tony Wisniewski. He noted questions that ask the war in which President Dwight Eisenhower served as a general and which oceans surround the U.S. 

“Although it is somewhat useful information, it’s fairly of a trivial nature, pretty much like ‘Jeopardy’…This bill certainly outlines a whole bunch of other things that are more pertinent to the government and civics.”

The new civics test would have to include components from Idaho’s American government content standards. These include the influence of Western civilization on the country’s founding, the arguments presented in the Declaration of Independence, the governing principles in the U.S. and Idaho constitutions and the roles and powers of separate branches of government, among other things. 

The House Education Committee voted unanimously to introduce the bill, paving the way for a future public hearing.

School board spousal employment bill heads to House

The House Education Committee on Tuesday unanimously endorsed a bill that would relax hiring restrictions for the spouses of school board trustees.

Under current state law, only school districts with 1,200 or fewer students can employ the spouse of a school board member under certain conditions. There can be no other eligible applicants and the spouse’s job must be reopened to applicants each year. 

Senate Bill 1045 would allow districts enrolling 400 or fewer students to employ the spouse of a trustee, as long as the trustee abstains from hiring and compensation decisions. The bill would not apply to administrator positions. 

“School board members that have this situation, where their spouse serves in some kind of capacity, take it very, very seriously,” said Quinn Perry, deputy director of the Idaho School Boards Association, which supports the legislation. 

The bill now heads to the full House. The Senate previously approved it.

Advanced Opportunities tweaks head to Senate floor

The Senate could vote in the next few days on several changes to the Advanced Opportunities program.

House Bill 175 makes several tweaks to the program, which allows high school students to take state-funded college classes and college placement exams.

First, students would be able to take a college placement exam more than once, on the taxpayer’s nickel. Second, students who take 15 dual-credit classes would need to get career advising and identify postsecondary goals. Third, home school students would be able to enroll in dual-credit classes directly through community colleges.

The Senate Education Committee quickly approved HB 175, sending it to the Senate floor. The House has already passed this bill unanimously.