Education (Teachers)

This bill appropriates approximately $3.1 billion in state and federal funds to Idaho's Public Schools Educational Support Program for fiscal year 2027, covering teacher salaries, student support services, facilities, and special education programs. It directs specific uses for the money, including professional development for educators, additional compensation for instructional staff, technology infrastructure purchases, and targeted funding for English language learners and students with disabilities. The legislation also establishes reporting requirements for how districts allocate funds and clarifies the original funding sources for these expenditures.

This bill establishes the Idaho Student Safety and Educator Disclosure Act to enhance student safety by requiring schools to verify the background and conduct history of all school employees. It mandates that school districts require job applicants to provide sworn statements about any past investigations, resignations during investigations, or disciplinary actions for misconduct, while non-district schools must obtain written authorization to contact an applicant's past employers for the last ten years to verify such information. The law also requires schools to report certain misconduct-related resignations or terminations to the Idaho Professional Standards Commission and clarifies that schools cannot delay reporting child abuse to law enforcement to conduct internal investigations. Additionally, it provides legal protections for employers who share information in good faith and outlines specific conditions under which private school employees can bring claims against their employers.

This bill updates how Idaho public school districts calculate salary allocations for instructional and pupil service staff based on their career ladder progression. It establishes specific rules for placing new teachers on the career ladder, including provisions for those with prior teaching experience in private or parochial schools and career technical education instructors with industry experience. The law also sets performance criteria that staff must meet to advance to higher compensation levels, with allocations remaining at previous levels if performance requirements are not satisfied. These changes affect how school districts determine funding for employee compensation starting July 1, 2026.

This bill updates Idaho's career ladder system for public school staff, affecting instructional and pupil service employees by changing how they advance through compensation levels. It establishes clearer rules for moving up the career ladder based on years of experience, professional endorsements, and performance criteria, while also creating new pathways for career technical education teachers with industry experience. The legislation requires school districts to adjust staff allocations according to these revised placement rules and includes provisions for recognizing prior teaching experience from private or parochial schools.

This bill establishes the Idaho Student Safety and Educator Disclosure Act to enhance background checks and reporting requirements for school employees. It requires educational institutions to request disclosure statements from job applicants covering the past ten years, specifically asking about pending investigations, resignations during investigations, and disciplinary actions. The law also mandates that schools cannot replace required law enforcement reports about child abuse or neglect with their own internal reviews. Additionally, the bill provides immunity from civil liability for those who make good faith disclosures and requires that any employment changes during misconduct investigations be reported to the state's professional standards commission.

Idaho's S 1227 establishes rules for using generative artificial intelligence (like AI that creates text or images) in public K-12 schools. It requires the state education department to create a framework prioritizing student privacy, safety, and human oversight, while mandating school districts to adopt local policies aligned with this framework. The bill also directs the development of AI literacy standards for students, teacher training programs, and guidelines for purchasing AI tools that comply with privacy laws. These requirements take effect July 1, 2026.