IDAHO

Idaho Gov. Brad Little will end public health emergency on April 15

INSIDE: The governor’s statement in full, plus the impact of this decision.

Superintendent candidate won’t be charged, but wife faces misdemeanor

Idaho Reports called and emailed Branden Durst on Tuesday for comment but did not receive a response.

After a tense hearing, an all-day kindergarten bill is in limbo

“I think we need to adjourn the meeting and have some discussion,” said a visibly irritated Chairman Steven Thayn, R-Emmett, before abruptly dropping the gavel on Tuesday’s hearing.

Statehouse roundup, 3.8.22: House approves school mask mandate opt-outs

Also: A bill meant to screen students for dyslexia and provide teachers with professional development to help affected students passed the House unanimously.

No, Idaho’s teachers aren’t quitting in droves

The state’s 2021 teacher-retention rate came in at 90.8%. And it’s hovered around that number since 2018.

House backs criminal charges for educators, librarians who disseminate ‘harmful materials’ to children

An hour-plus debate featured raised voices, impassioned decrials of pornography and back-and-forth between attorney legislators.

Boise trustees rescind their mask mandate

Masks are now optional in Idaho’s second largest district, which become one of the last to remove the mandate.

Statehouse roundup, 3.7.22: JFAC endorses teacher pay raises, bonuses, literacy money

In other Monday Statehouse news, a House committee approved a bill to allow parents to opt their children out of school mask requirements.

Dads are “on duty” at Rigby Middle School

Local leaders hope a program aimed at connecting students to positive local male role models will help the school beset by a recent school shooting and the lingering pandemic.