2019 Wrap Up of the Idaho Legislature

2019 Legislative Wrap

Here are some resources to check out for a recap of the 2019 session of the Idaho Legislature.

S 1106 CTE Modernization Bill: This legislation modifies Title 33 to clarify that career technical education includes all secondary, postsecondary, and adult courses, programs, training and services, irrespective of instructional delivery method. This bill clarifies that virtual Career Technical Education (CTE) programs which meet the same quality requirements and demonstrate compliance with the Idaho CTE Initiative may be authorized by Idaho CTE. This modernizes CTE language to include all instructional delivery methods and better positions Idaho to meet demands of modern-day workforce.

S 1107 Equal footing for all education delivery methods: This legislation modifies 33-1004 to remove the sunset provision that allows school districts and public charter schools to receive salary-based apportionment based on adjusted mid-term support units, if full-term support units are at least 3% greater than mid-term support units. The adjustment is equal to 75% of the difference between full-term support units and mid-term support units. For example, salary-based apportionment for a school district or charter school with 100 mid-term unites and 104 full-term support units would be based on 103 support units. This provision enables the minority of schools, which experience enrollment growth as the school year progresses, to receive additional funding for those students. The original legislation passed in 2016 with a 3-year sunset. This bill removes the sunset.

H 293 Enrollment Data Collection: This bill is mostly comprised of definitions needed for a Student Based Funding Formula (SBFF), and some reporting of student enrollment data. In preparation for SBFF discussions during the 2020 legislative session school districts will report student enrollment figures in the fall of 2019, in addition to average daily attendance (ADA). Districts will report overall student enrollment numbers, along with enrollments in the sub-categories of special education, low income, English language learners, and gifted and talented. With this parallel data, both ADA and enrollment, the legislature and stakeholders will be able to better determine the fiscal impact per district of a new Student Based Funding Formula.


H293, S1106 and S1107 are not mentioned in most of these recaps, but they are important bills for charter schools.

Idaho Statesman – Cynthia Sewell: https://www.idahostatesman.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article229137614.html

AP – Keith Ridler: https://apnews.com/c6bb776a986d441aaa3d4347d29c7492

JKAF’s Idaho Ed News: https://www.idahoednews.org/news/the-2019-legislature-what-happened-what-didnt/ and https://www.idahoednews.org/news/the-2019-legislative-session-adjourns/

National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) Presentation of Recommendations: https://www.idahoednews.org/news/national-group-recommends-higher-standards-for-idaho-charters/

Idaho Press, Betsy Russell: https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/legislative-session-wraps-up-with-many-challenges-unaddressed/article_79f833e9-6bd9-528a-9781-2f1951d6e4e2.html

Idaho Public Television, Idaho Reports: https://video.idahoptv.org/video/the-rules-dont-apply-ug5dxl/