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What We Learned at the SB1188 Hearing — And Why the Senate Must Kill It

Yesterday's hearing on SB1188 made one thing painfully clear: this is a deeply flawed and dangerous bill. It must be killed in the 14th Order — not amended.

We learned directly from the Director of Idaho Home Learning Academy (IHLA) — the very school targeted by this bill — that there are no guarantees they will be approved by the Charter Commission. In fact, if this bill passes, IHLA and many other district-run online programs will be forced to compete for approval, with no certainty their applications will be accepted.

The IHLA director warned that leaving their current district status without a guaranteed charter approval puts thousands of students at risk, especially rural and medically fragile children. If the Charter Commission says no, what happens to those students?

This bill doesn’t solve a problem — it creates a massive one.

Why SB1188 Must Be Stopped

  • No guarantees for schools: Charter Commission approval is not automatic, and competition will be fierce.

  • Removes parent choice: Virtual students would lose cross-district enrollment options that in-person students still have.

  • Rolls back Governor Little's conservative reforms: The bill revives bureaucracy and state micromanagement — exactly what we eliminated just last year.

  • Unfunded mandate: The Charter Commission will need a contracts expert, a virtual oversight team, and a new system — none of which exist today.

  • No leadership at the Commission: They have no permanent director, just lost their finance officer, and are in no position to expand.

Take Action Now

The Senate could act as soon as tomorrow to amend or vote on SB1188 in the 14th Order. We cannot let this bill move forward.

📢 Tell your Senator: Kill SB1188. Do not amend it.

🔗 Contact the full Senate here: https://www.idchartercoalition.org/news/2025/3/22/virtual-school-parent-contact-list-for-sb-1176-and-its-even-worse-replacement-bill-tba

We’re in the final hours. Make your voice heard before it’s too late.

#NoOnSB1188 #ProtectSchoolChoice #LetParentsChoose