Featured Series

Stories about Idaho’s educators, students and policy makers plus features on bright spots in Idaho education.

Garden Valley discusses school gun options

The Garden Valley School District plans to install biometric gun safes in schools. The school board begins discussing the issue tonight.

Packed crowd listens to education testimony

Nearly 150 people signed up to testify about education issues in front lawmakers on Monday. Much of the testimony centered on a series of labor bills sought by the Idaho School Boards Association.

Team Horman: daughter transfers schools to be closer to lawmaker mother

High School junior Julia Horman leaves life behind in eastern Idaho to bond with her mother in Boise.

DeMordaunt brings global perspective to education

New House Education Committee Chairman Reed DeMordaunt has helped expand businesses in Middle East, Asia.

Democrat entertains Idaho with reform ideas

Executive director of Democrats for Education Reform spoke to 60 people — mostly leaders in Idaho education — about his ideas for producing better schools.

Otter: lawmakers obligated to consider labor bills

Governor says education legislation is still feasible this session — if lawmakers can find consensus. “The proof in the pudding in consensus is going to be the vote on the floor.”

Two themes dominate ‘listening session’

50 people spoke during Friday’s 2 1/2-hour hearing.

K-12’s stake in the tax debate of the year

Gov. Butch Otter wants to repeal the personal property tax, an unpopular tax levied on business equipment and supplies. Some key legislators and lobbyists are on board. For K-12, an estimated $38.6 million is on the line.

ISBA collective bargaining bills introduced

Senate Education Committee Chairman John Goedde calls the bills a “toned-down” rewrite of Students Come First’s collective bargaining language. Sen. Branden Durst, D-Boise, called it “Luna laws (version) 2.0.”

Best practices presented to task force

The Education Task Force spent the morning listening to local and national experts talk about what works in education. The task force then spent the afternoon in five working groups, brainstorming ideas for improving student achievement.