This bill appropriates state funds for the Idaho Digital Learning Academy for the 2027 fiscal year, directly affecting public school districts and charter schools in Idaho. The legislation sets a maximum tuition rate of $40 per student enrollment and mandates that the academy provide remedial coursework for students who are not proficient in state standards. Additionally, the bill requires the academy to offer advanced learning opportunities, such as dual credit courses, in accordance with state education rules. The law becomes effective on July 1, 2026, and was signed into law by the Governor.
This bill allocates $900,000 in state funding to the State Board of Education and the University of Idaho Board of Regents to support health education programs for fiscal year 2027. The money is designated for specific medical residency and fellowship programs, including positions for Eastern Idaho, Family Medicine, and University of Utah medical education. Additionally, the bill authorizes two and a half new full-time equivalent positions and directs that 15 new graduate medical education residencies and fellowships be funded through the Rural Health Transformation Program. If those specific funds become available, unused general fund money originally set aside for graduate programs will instead be used to create new undergraduate medical education seats. The legislation takes effect on July 1, 2026, and requires a compliance report to be submitted to the state legislature by December 1, 2026.
This bill amends Idaho state law to revise the structure, duties, and funding rules for the Idaho Digital Learning Academy, a public school-choice program that offers online courses to students. It establishes the Academy as a distinct governmental entity rather than a state department, outlines the responsibilities of its Board of Directors, and sets specific requirements for course offerings, staffing, and accreditation. Key provisions include limiting administrative staff to 30% of the budget, exempting teachers from certain employment classifications, defining course fees with a $40 cap for graduation-required classes, and allowing the Academy to contract with service providers for 24/7 online course delivery. The legislation also clarifies definitions for terms like "host district" and "custom section," while declaring an emergency to ensure immediate implementation of these changes.
This bill amends Idaho law to clarify how school districts must use state funds designated for school facilities, requiring money to be spent on construction, renovation, maintenance, and security rather than athletic facilities. It establishes a nine-member Model School Facility Council to develop a standardized plan for school building design and construction that districts must follow when using these funds. The council will be appointed by state officials and must submit its plan to the legislature by July 2027, while districts must annually report on how they spend the allocated money.
This bill directs $5 million from the Idaho High Needs Student Fund to the Public Schools Educational Support Program's Division of Student Support for fiscal year 2027 to help fund student support services. It also transfers $1 million from the Idaho Career Ready Students Program Fund and $4 million from the Driver Training Account into the Idaho High Needs Student Fund to provide the necessary money for this appropriation. The legislation clarifies the funding source for these expenditures and sets the effective date as July 1, 2026, with an emergency declaration to ensure immediate implementation.
This bill allows Idaho school districts and public charter schools that meet specific performance and financial standards to gain more control over how they spend state education funds. To qualify, districts must rank in the top 20% for test scores or exceed state averages by significant margins, maintain strong graduation rates, and demonstrate three years of clean financial audits. Participating schools gain flexibility to allocate money for salaries, programs, and other expenses as they see fit, while being exempt from many state reporting requirements. The law includes safeguards that allow the state to revoke this flexibility if schools fail to meet academic benchmarks for two consecutive years or have serious financial audit issues. A report on the program's impact will be submitted to the legislature in 2029.
This bill allocates $356,300 in funding to Idaho's Division of Educational Services for the Deaf and the Blind for the 2027 fiscal year. The money comes from two sources: $335,900 transferred from the General Fund to the Public School Income Fund, and $20,400 from the School for the Deaf and the Blind Endowment Fund. The legislation clarifies the original funding sources for these expenditures and declares an emergency to make the funding effective starting July 1, 2026.
This bill reduces the state funding for Idaho's Digital Learning Academy by $13.5 million for fiscal year 2027 and adjusts related financial transfers between state funds. The legislation requires the academy to limit course offerings and deny new enrollments if necessary to maintain a positive cash balance, while prohibiting withdrawals from the Public Education Stabilization Fund for this program. Additionally, the bill mandates that the academy verify compliance with state nondiscrimination standards for diversity, equity, and inclusion courses and submit a compliance report by December 2026. The law also requires detailed reporting on course costs, enrollment data, and budget information to the Legislative Services Office by August 2026 to improve transparency in how state funds are used.
This Idaho bill allocates and adjusts funding for the Workforce Development Council and the STEM Action Center for fiscal years 2026 and 2027. It increases the Workforce Development Council's budget by $1,150,000 from the In-Demand Careers Fund while adding six full-time equivalent positions, but simultaneously reduces its General Fund allocation for operating expenses. The STEM Action Center receives a budget increase from the STEM Education Fund while having its total funding reduced by $76,400 from the General Fund and losing seven full-time equivalent positions. The bill also declares an emergency to allow the General Fund reduction to take effect immediately upon passage, with other provisions beginning on July 1, 2026.
This bill amends Idaho law to revise the Parental Choice Tax Credit, which provides financial assistance to parents for private school and related educational expenses. It establishes eligibility for Idaho residents with children aged 5 to 18, or children with disabilities up to age 21, to claim a refundable tax credit of up to $5,000 per eligible student for qualified expenses including tuition, tutoring, assessments, and transportation. The bill creates a priority application system that favors lower-income families and allows eligible parents to request an advance payment of the credit before filing their tax return. It also repeals the previous advance payment fund and sets specific application deadlines and documentation requirements for claiming the credit.
