This fall, Idaho school trustees will consider a legislative platform dominated by calls for more public school funding, and punctuated by controversial — if expected — stances like support for early childhood education and opposition to state funding for private or religious schooling.

The platform reflects the issues school leaders are facing at the local level, including budget crunches driven by expiring pandemic dollars and enrollment dips.  And it provides an early window into what could be at stake for education in the 2025 legislative session. 

Altogether, school boards statewide are proposing 17 resolutions — up from the seven considered last year — which trustees will vote on at the annual Idaho School Boards Association convention on Nov. 6 – 8 in Boise. The ISBA’s executive board is recommending that members pass 14 of the resolutions.

Read all the resolutions here.

What makes it onto the ISBA platform will determine where the nonprofit’s team of advocates will focus their energy as they work with politicians, state education leaders, and stakeholders to develop, support or oppose bills on behalf of Idaho school districts. 

Below, we take a look at each resolution and what it could mean for education. 

Hot-button issues: Armed staff, vouchers, early childhood education, and counting recess as instructional time

ISBA recommendation: Do pass

Proposed by: Marsing, Melba, and Fruitland school districts

The gist: When it comes to school safety policies, one-size-fits-all solutions are not appropriate, these trustees argue. Local school leaders should determine their own safety protocols, including decisions regarding whether to authorize staff to carry firearms or other weapons. 

The context: This resolution comes after last year’s legislative session featured two contentious and ultimately unsuccessful bills to allow school employees to bring guns to school if they had an enhanced concealed carry permit. 

ISBA recommendation: Do pass

Proposed by: Boise School District

The gist: This resolution, if passed, would empower ISBA staffers to advocate against efforts to “divert public dollars to private or parochial schools.” Boise trustees argue that Idaho already has plenty of school choice options for students — including charter, magnet, alternative, and virtual schools — within the existing public school system. Plus, Idaho’s schools can’t afford to lose “already scarce resources” to “unaccountable private and parochial schools.” And they point to the “detrimental effects” vouchers have had in states like Indiana and Arizona. 

“A voucher, tax credit, or scholarships program would irreparably harm our existing system of public school districts and charters, especially in rural Idaho, and would likely harm overall student achievement,” the proposal reads. 

The context: Funding or subsidizing non-public schooling has been among the most divisive education issues in Idaho. While efforts to enact a private school subsidy program have failed in recent legislative sessions, they are highly likely to resurface in 2025. At a school administrators’ conference held last month, state superintendent Debbie Critchfield revealed that she and Gov. Brad Little had been discussing a possible private school choice bill.

Seek support for early learning

ISBA recommendation: Do pass

Proposed by: Caldwell School District

The gist: Resolution four would empower the ISBA to push state and local education leaders and politicians to prioritize early learning initiatives. State and local leaders would be encouraged to “work collaboratively with school districts and charter schools to provide the necessary resources and flexibility to implement high-quality early learning programs that meet the needs of their communities.”

The context: Early learning has been controversial in Idaho, as some have feared early learning would lead to indoctrination or would “make it easier” for “mothers to come out of the home and let others raise their child.” But many education leaders cite the importance of preschool for kindergarten readiness, academic success, and general wellbeing; more and more districts are offering preschool to patrons, or are interested in doing so. 

Seek financial flexibility for preschool education

ISBA recommendation: Do pass

Proposed by: Teton School District

The gist: This is a call to amend Idaho law so school districts and charters can opt to use state dollars for “kindergarten preparedness programs” for children under 5. 

The context: Currently, state dollars can only go to children 5 and older. That’s partly due to a piece of Idaho code that determines school age as beginning at 5. It’s an issue that’s been under the microscope since Attorney General Raúl Labrador began investigating the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare over its administration of federal child care grants, and whether some of the dollars were inappropriately used for children under 5. That imbroglio is ongoing. 

The districts and schools offering preschool generally fund their programs through non-state grants and/or enrollment fees. 

ISBA recommendation: No recommendation

Submitted by: Bonneville School District 

The gist: The Bonneville school board, in the Idaho Falls area, is calling for recess to count toward instructional hours. Trustees argue that recess supports “cognitive performance and brain health” and facilitates “academic performance,” especially in reading and math.  

The context: In Idaho, students are required to spend a certain amount of time in class each year. Currently, only time in class or teacher’s professional development time can count toward those hours — not recess or time between classes. Quinn Perry, ISBA’s deputy director, said that many states do allow recess and passing time to count toward instructional totals. 

Bonneville’s request comes as legislators have recently questioned whether Idaho students spend enough time in class, and as more school districts are transitioning to four-day weeks. Legislators’ concerns over instructional time are part of the reason ISBA’s executive board is not taking a stance on whether this recommendation should pass, Perry said. 

Many resolutions seek to shore up financial shortfalls, address budgetary issues

Many of the ISBA resolutions call on the Legislature to better fund schools, or to create more avenues for schools to seek funding elsewhere.

Here’s the rundown on the funding-focused resolutions:

ISBA recommendation: Do pass 

Proposed by: Coeur d’Alene and Boundary County school boards

The gist: This proposal calls for a change to Idaho law that would allow districts to seek supplemental levies for up to six years at a time. Currently, districts can only seek levies for up to two years at a time. Trustees argue that most districts rely on supplemental levies because “state funding of public schools is inadequate.” And seeking voter approval for levies every other year requires “an enormous amount of time and money” and creates financial uncertainty. 

The context: School elections perhaps face tougher odds now than ever, partly because two school election dates — in March and in August — have been nixed in the past two years. Historically, the March election was the most popular for bonds and levies. School leaders argued that the election gave them time to build their budgets and issue teacher contracts, based on whether the bond or levy passed. The four dates also gave district leaders ample opportunities to rerun failed bonds or levies. With those options cut by half, there’s more financial uncertainty when a measure fails. 

A six-year levy term would allow districts to seek voter approval less often. But a levy term can’t be so long that it loses favor with voters. In March 2023, Coeur d’Alene voters rejected a permanent levy, but later passed a two-year levy in May. Trustees say there needs to be a happy medium between two-year and forever levies (the latter of which only some districts qualify for). 

ISBA recommendation: Do pass 

Proposed by: Cassia School District

The gist: The school district where Critchfield formerly served as a trustee is supporting her school financing tweaks — namely doling out more funding for more expensive students — in this proposal. The funding formula update would provide districts with more money for high-needs students, including those with disabilities, from low-income families, who are falling behind in reading or who are at-risk. 

The context: This is Critchfield’s second attempt to pass weighted funding, after it died without a hearing during the last legislative session. 

ISBA recommendation: Do pass 

Proposed by: Pocatello/Chubbuck School District

The gist: With CTE programs becoming increasingly popular, there’s a need for more CTE teachers with industry experience. However, it can be difficult to attract professionals in higher-paying sectors outside of education to take relatively low-paying teaching jobs. This proposal calls for the Legislature to allocate more funding for CTE salaries and/or conduct a study exploring “all available options for additional funding resources.” 

The context: Expanding CTE opportunities has been a chief focus for Critchfield, and legislators have been injecting millions of dollars into those programs. 

Idaho’s average teacher salary — while gradually increasing — remains behind the national average. Boosting CTE teacher pay could help draw more industry experts to teaching roles, but Perry acknowledged it could also lead to them making more money than traditional teachers, even the most experienced. 

Reviving a neglected grant fund

ISBA recommendation: Do pass 

The gist: School districts — especially small districts — still have outstanding facilities needs, even after the Legislature increased funding for schools last session. To help those small districts, the Legislature could revive and repurpose a dormant loan and grant fund that was created in 2000, but does not receive any funding. It could be funded with up to $25 million, then doled out to charter schools and districts based on need, with preference going to districts that receive less than $5 million in a 10-year period. 

The context: House Bill 521, which increased school facilities funding, was arguably the session’s most significant piece of education legislation. But small school districts received considerably less than large districts. This could help shore up some of those disparities. “Many of our small rural districts are not going to be able to address their significant infrastructure needs under House Bill 521, and this is the missing piece to that,” Perry said. 

Reps. Rod Furniss, R-Rigby, and Soñia Galaviz, D-Boise, in March introduced a bill to activate the fund. The lawmakers said they plan to bring back the legislation next session. 

Putting a sales tax on the ballot

ISBA recommendation: No recommendation

The gist: Currently, local leaders of traditional districts can ask voters to chip in for local education via a property tax. This proposal would give districts another option: to seek a sales tax instead of, or in addition to, a property tax. Learn more about school bonds and levies here. 

The context: West Bonner trustees have been reeling from a May supplemental levy failure, which compounded the district’s financial issues. The district’s above proposals are “creative” efforts to find alternative funding sources and show the community they are seeking “unique ideas for how they can still serve their kids without solely burdening property taxpayers,” Perry said. 

ISBA’s executive board stopped short of endorsing this approach, however, partly because issuing a sales tax “would not fit in every community,” Perry said.

Odds and ends: two financial fixes, and a push for reliable school safety funding

Resolution five seeks to restore flexibility regarding how state lottery funds are spent after this year’s school facilities funding bill created new restrictions. Many school districts have historically used lottery revenue to fund routine maintenance and staff salaries. Now, per House Bill 521, districts must first use the funds to pay down bonds and levies, and some districts don’t have money left over for routine maintenance costs. The resolution urges lawmakers to restore the previous funding mechanism.

The Lewiston School Board’s resolution 18, which the ISBA supports, asks the Legislature to set up a financial safeguard in case school districts’ insurance savings pool gets overdrawn again, as was the case recently, according to Perry.  

Caldwell’s resolution three seeks more reliable funding for school safety needs — such as security personnel, safety alarms and infrastructure and mental health services. Currently, those programs are funded by “unreliable” lottery and tobacco sales. 

Odds and ends: Hiring trustee spouses and cutting down red tape

Two resolutions call for more flexibility when it comes to hiring trustee spouses. In resolution seven, Midvale trustees are seeking the ability to let trustee spouses be hired in non-administrative positions at small school districts with fewer than 250 students. The spouse who is hired would have the same job security as any other employee, rather than having their position reposted each year. 

They cite staff shortages in their request, which has ISBA backing: “Sometimes it is quite difficult in a small community to fill both board and staff vacancies with the current rules in place.” Trustees would recuse themselves from hiring and pay processes that involve a spouse. 

A second resolution, no. 9, calls for such spousal hires in all Idaho public schools. The request, put forward by Pocatello/Chubbuck School District, does not have ISBA backing. Perry said the executive board was uncomfortable with the idea of spousal hiring at all schools, and wanted the practice to remain as an exception rather than the rule. 

Resolution 17 calls for cutting down on red tape. Specifically, Butte County trustees are asking that a state-mandated plan called the continuous improvement plan (CIP) be absorbed into the strategic plan, which is more extensive and is already in place in many districts. The plan has ISBA backing. 

Idaho Education News data analyst Randy Schrader and reporter Ryan Suppe contributed to this report.