After years of debate — and a spate of Statehouse study committees — a bill to update Idaho’s K-12 funding formula has cleared a legislative body.

The Senate Tuesday afternoon passed a bill that would begin to tweak the formula, providing more money to schools with high-need students.

“It’s a better way of doing business … and a way of making sure the money follows the child,” said Sen. Jim Woodward, R-Sagle, the sponsor of the funding formula rewrite.

One of state superintendent Debbie Critchfield’s top legislative priorities, Senate Bill 1096 doesn’t rework the entire $3.3 billion K-12 budget. Instead, it focuses on about $400 million of K-12 spending. This is the sum of money that goes out to schools as “discretionary” funding, unrestricted dollars that now go out based on student attendance.

SB 1096 would add several funding “weights” based on student characteristics.

• For special education students, the payment would be increased by 175% per student.
• For students in alternative schools, the per-student payment would be doubled, a 100% increase.
• For economically disadvantaged students, English language learners and gifted and talented students, the increase would be 25%.

For supporters — including veterans of the thorny and protracted funding formula debate — Tuesday’s vote was a watershed moment of sorts.

“We have worked so hard to get to this point,” said Senate Education Committee Chairman Dave Lent, R-Idaho Falls. “Change comes with a little bit of struggle for us.”

“I think this is a really good first step,” said Sen. Janie Ward-Engelking, D-Boise. “We know that some kids in our schools need more resources.”

Opponents said the short-term risk was prohibitive. Despite language designed to protect districts and charters with fewer than 1,200 students, they said the bill would cost rural schools.

“It’s still not clear to me that the problems that I saw in this bill have been solved,” said Sen. Cindy Carlson, R-Riggins.

Other states have reworked their funding formulas, but schools haven’t changed their spending practices much, said Sen. Lori Den Hartog, R-Meridian. Den Hartog noted that SB 1096 would not require Idaho schools to use their weighted funding to serve high-need students.

SB 1096 sailed out of Senate Education more than a month ago, with unanimous committee support. But the Senate floor vote was a different story. The bill passed on a narrow 20-15 vote, with all the no votes coming from Republicans. More than half of the 29-member GOP caucus opposed the bill.

The Senate vote means the House now has two competing funding formula bills to choose from.

Rep. Wendy Horman, R-Idaho Falls, has proposed a slower rollout. Her House Bill 279 does not propose funding weights — but says the Legislature should refine the formula in the future, “to encompass a weighted per-student funding formula.”

Her bill was introduced nearly a month ago, but has not received a committee hearing.

Horman did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday afternoon.

School spending accountability bill heads to House

After freewheeling debate, a spending accountability bill is headed to the House.

The reworked bill would require schools to spend state education dollars as the Legislature mandates. It would also give the Legislature’s Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee the power to cut a school district or charter school budget if money is misused.

“This is the accountability aspect of the audit system,” said Rep. Kyle Harris, R-Lewiston, the bill’s sponsor.

Debate centered on several education funding issues.

Bill supporters repeatedly brought up Gov. Brad Little’s 2023 budget proposal, and reports that teachers would receive $6,359 raises. “That’s what the public believed was going to happen and it didn’t happen,” said Rep. Dale Hawkins, R-Fernwood, who said Harris’ bill “will bring clarity to stuff.”

Many teachers did not receive a $6,359 raise, for a number of reasons. One reason was staffing; many schools hire more teachers than the state funds, and schools had to spread their money for raises more thinly.

Harris also brought up the state’s $72 million-a-year literacy budget, which has gone largely into staff salaries, while reading scores have been mixed. “If you give me more money, it doesn’t make me a better employee,” he said.

Many schools have used literacy money to hire staffers focused on early reading — such as reading coaches and teachers for all-day kindergarten.

The committee also brought up the complexity of Idaho’s 30-year-old K-12 funding formula. Rep. Steve Tanner, R-Nampa, suggested that it’s time for the state to update the formula. That’s hardly a new idea. Lawmakers have debated updates to the formula for nearly a decade — and on Tuesday, the Senate passed one of this year’s two competing funding formula updates.

Tuesday’s testimony was unanimously in opposition to the bill — and focused on the auditing requirements already on the books.

Chris James, the Cassia County School District’s fiscal director, noted that the schools already have to file reports explaining how they spend money for teacher pay, literacy and transportation. “This bill adds redundant bureaucracy under the guise of transparency.”

On a 9-5 vote, the House Education Committee sent Harris’ new bill straight to the House floor, recommending it pass. A House vote could occur in the next few days.

Committee OKs school chaplain bill

A bill allowing school chaplains is headed to the House floor.

House Bill 410 would allow school districts or charter schools to hire a chaplain, or bring in a volunteer chaplain.

“It affords the opportunity for them,” the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Dale Hawkins, R-Fernwood, told the House Education Committee. “It may be used by few, it may be used by many.”

The bill passed, but not before committee members raised concerns.

Rep. Mark Sauter, R-Sandpoint, asked Hawkins if schools could already bring in chaplains. Hawkins said he wasn’t sure.

Rep. Monica Church, D-Boise, said chaplains would not be able to simply offer off-the-cuff guidance. Instead, she said, schools would be required to post information about a chaplain’s services online.

Hawkins disagreed. “I think we’re shooting way beyond the principle of what we’re talking about.”

Quinn Perry of the Idaho School Boards Association spoke against the bill. She said she was worried that the Legislature could eventually make chaplains mandatory — and said the choice of a chaplain would force a school to pick among religious faiths, which “will undoubtedly create community issues.”

Hawkins again emphasized the bill’s voluntary language. “(Trustees are) not going to move with this if their community doesn’t want this.”

House Education passed the bill on a 10-4 vote.

House passes bill requiring ‘early fetal development’ videos

With little debate, the House passed a bill that would require schools to show videos depicting “early fetal development.”

Senate Bill 1046 would require schools to incorporate the videos in fifth through 12th grade, in classes on human biology or classes discussing contraception and sexually transmitted diseases.

The bill’s sponsor said students need to know the “true biological facts” about fetal development. “Hopefully we will see some cultural shifts for a pro-life society,” said Rep. Heather Scott, R-Blanchard.

The bill would require schools to choose “a high-definition ultrasound video … showing the development of the brain, heart, sex organs, and other vital organs in early fetal development.” The bill also requires “a high-quality, computer-generated rendering or animation showing the process of fertilization and every stage of human development inside the uterus.”

Rep. Monica Church, D-Boise, debated in favor of the bill and its safeguards — including language that would give schools the authority to create and choose their videos.

The bill passed 63-6, over the objections of six other Boise Democrats: Reps. Steve Berch, Soñia Galaviz, John Gannon, Brooke Green, Chris  Mathias and Ilana Rubel. SB 1046 now goes to Gov. Brad Little’s desk.

Sex education opt-in bill bound for amendments

A bill mandating that parents opt-in to instruction on “human sexuality” is heading to the Senate floor, where it’s bound for amendments. 

The Senate Education Committee voted Tuesday to advance House Bill 239. Sen. Jim Woodward made the successful motion to it to the Senate’s amending order. 

Woodward, R-Sagle, said the bill could have the opposite effect as intended and “open the door” to teaching about sexuality. “I agree with the intent, because I don’t think we should be teaching this in school.”

Woodward also objected to a proposed private cause of action that would allow parents to sue a school district that fails to obtain consent before teaching about sexuality. 

The bill defines “human sexuality” with a lengthy list of terms, including sexual conduct, pleasure, abuse and violence along with sexual and gender identity, among other things. 

“Most parents, I dare say, probably don’t want their children to be taught any of this at school,” said Rep. Barbara Ehardt, R-Idaho Falls, who’s sponsoring the bill. 

The House overwhelmingly approved HB 239. 

A second bill — which would bar instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity — was also scheduled for a hearing in the Senate Education Committee on Tuesday. Short on time, the committee pushed the hearing on House Bill 352 to Wednesday.

School transportation funding bill clears House

A bill that would allow school districts to seek state reimbursement for alternate vehicles easily cleared the House. 

Currently, districts can claim reimbursement for traditional, yellow school buses. House Bill 396 would allow reimbursements for vans, passenger cars and other vehicles used to transport students to off-site activities. 

The bill would also bar virtual schools from claiming busing reimbursements for internet and phone costs. “We felt like that wasn’t right, so we took that out,” said sponsoring Rep. Dan Garner, R-Clifton. 

The House approved the bill 62-6, with six Republicans opposed. 

HB 396 now heads to the Senate. 

The bill’s sponsors said last week that a followup bill would address internet and phone costs for online schools.

Senate passes bill putting Legislature in charge of immunization policy

A bill giving the Legislature direct control over immunization policy is headed to Gov. Brad Little’s desk.

The Senate passed House Bill 290, which would move immunization guidelines out of state Department of Health and Welfare rules and into state code.

The bill doesn’t change childhood immunization guidelines. It also doesn’t change the process allowing parents to opt their school-age children out of immunizations. But it puts this language into code, which means the Legislature can change the guidelines by passing a law.

The bill passed 23-11, over objections from hardline conservatives. “Bad rules make even worse law,” said Sen. Joshua Kohl, R-Twin Falls, one of the opponents.

The House has already passed HB 290.

Senate approves expansion of charter school credit enhancement 

A bill that would allow more charter schools to use a state credit enhancement tool is heading to Gov. Brad Little’s desk.

The Senate unanimously approved House Bill 331 on Tuesday.

Twenty-one schools participating in the existing program altogether save nearly $12 million annually thanks to lower interest rates on bonds, said sponsoring Sen. Lori Den Hartog, R-Meridian.

The House already approved the bill.