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This week marks the end of the sixth week of the 2024 Legislative Session. This week is commonly referred to as "Dump Week" because it is the final week for bills to be introduced in non-privileged committees. We saw many new bills introduced this week and are taking a neutral stance on most of them.

There were also some changes in the House of Representatives. Rep. Jason Monks was named the Majority Leader and Rep. David Cannon was appointed as the new Revenue and Taxation Committee Chair. House leadership also reassigned a few representatives to new committees, which is a rare occurrence mid-session, including stacking the committee with more school choice proponents.

Call to Action - Ask JFAC to support the $161 million supplemental appropriation for schools!

Remember in 2022, when Governor Brad Little convened a special session to pass HB 1 – which made record-breaking investments in K-12 schools? While HB 1 sailed through the Legislature and received a endorsement of a whopping 77% of Idaho voters, that investment has yet to come to fruition due to reversion back to attendance-based funding last year. Public schools in Idaho have had nearly $161 million “held back,” and some may soon see reductions in their upcoming payments from the State. Superintendent Critchfield has asked the legislature for a supplemental appropriation for this fiscal year so that these investments can become a reality back home in your neighborhood public schools. It’s the middle of February and we have yet to hear if the supplemental will become a reality.

Ask members of the Joint-Finance and Appropriations committee to follow through on HB 1 and pass the supplemental today.

Contact JFAC Members

The picture shown on the left is what the ballot question looked like in the November 2022 election.

Governor Little's Facilities Bill, HB521, FAQs

What will the requirements on “minimum instructional days” and “minimum contract hours” look like for those currently on – or, possibly transitioning to – a 4-day school week?

This is a new requirement, so the answer is: we don’t quite know yet. The State Board has until August 1, 2024 to adopt the policy. We can tell you that there is a high likelihood that they will analyze high-performing 4-day school districts, who appear to have an average of 145 student instructional days and approximately 165 teacher contract days. That said, the soonest you’ll likely see a public conversation on any proposed policy from the State Board would be at their April Board meeting, but it is possible the final policy will be in place as soon as May 2024. While we realize that no district could reasonably pivot to add additional days in a short period of time, please know that you have until July 1, 2025, to be able to attest to the requirements in order to draw down the “lump sum” amount in the School Modernization Fund.

What happens if we elect to take the “new” money on an annualized distribution vs. the lump sum?

Please make sure you know that if you elect to receive the new distributional annually, instead of the lump sum up-front, that you’ll be required to use the funds to “pay down” any existing bonds, plant facility levies or supplemental levies before you can begin using it on maintenance, renovation, or reconstruction.

Do you have a spreadsheet of each district’s distribution?
Unfortunately, we have not received an official copy of the spreadsheet that includes this data. We have requested a copy and will provide it if one is made available to us. We do know that some spreadsheets are floating around, and it’s our recommendation that you wait for any official sheet so that the data can be verified.

Other Important Legislative Updates

SB1356 - A new bill was introduced on Monday that would mandate training for all new school board members in Idaho and biennial training of all school boards. We appreciate the legislature's understanding of board development and how it can impact student success.

HB447 - We are awaiting a hearing on the school choice tax credit bill (HB447). We encourage you to continue contacting your legislators and asking them to vote no on the bill. To do so, click here.

SB1361 - This bill would ensure patrons of a public school district or charter school are able to provide in-person public comment at regular school board meetings. The school board would be able to create its own policies and procedures for this process in a way that works best for the board and its constituents.

ISBA Bill Tracker

ISBA is currently tracking 37 bills impacting Idaho public education. The complete bill tracker includes detailed information and ISBA staff analysis regarding the bills. Bill topics include:

Public Charter Schools
Libraries
Teacher Savings Accounts
School Board Trustee Quorums
The Blaine Amendment Repeal
Guns in Schools
Immunizations
Tax Credits
Elected Officials Convictions (criminal)
School Facilities
Telehealth for Schools
Sex Ed & Abortion Providers
Constitutional Protection for Private & Home School
Concussion Clearance in Youth Athletes
Holocaust and Civics Education
The School Funding Appropriations
Outcome-based Funding
Adoption Education
Flags Allowed in Classrooms and more

In the News

The House has had some changes in leadership this week. Read here to learn more about it.

Legislators in Idaho are debating amending the U.S. Constitution through a convention of states. Learn more about it here.

Representative Judy Boyle, a school choice proponent, is set to join the House Revenue and Taxation Committee just ahead of a potentially contentious vote on a bill related to school choice tax credits. Read about it here.