Idaho Bills

Amends existing law to revise provisions regarding public charter school admissions.

This legislation would adjust the priority of student selection in Public Charter Schools where initial capacity is insufficient to enroll all the children. A priority system is provided for selection that will now include children of families with at least one of the parents on active duty or active guard or reserve as the third prior The preferences will be the following order: First, children of founders. Second, siblings of students already selected including children in foster care. Third, children of families with at least one of the parents on active duty or active guard or reserve.

Amends existing law to revise provisions regarding participation in nonacademic public school activities for dual enrollment.

This bill creates a standard for how local school districts engage with homeschool students who wish to participate in nonacademic activities such as band, football or dance team. Some school districts are permissive and welcoming, and allow area homeschool students to join sports teams, clubs and other opportunities organized by the school. But there are school districts where homeschool students are required to register as part-time students to participate in any activities, and some districts where homeschool students are denied participation altogether without reason. This bill clarifies that all Idaho school districts are required to open their nonacademic activities up to “nonpublic students.” Districts may charge a reasonable fee for participation, but cannot count these students for the purposes of enrollment or Average Daily Attendance.

Adds to existing law to establish provisions regarding prohibitions on excused absences for certain activities in public schools.

The purpose of civic education is to instruct students about the history, structure and function of our civic institutions. This should be done in a way that informs students without political preference or prejudice concerning the diverse viewpoints that have influenced the development of these institutions. The purpose of civic education is not to incite activism but to instruct. The choice to activism is personal and left to the individual to pursue when not receiving instruction. This bill instructs schools receiving public funds for education to count students who are absent from class in order to engage in political protests, walkouts or volunteering for political purposes, as an unexcused absence for the entire day.

Amends existing law to revise provisions regarding certain placement and movement on the career ladder.

Under current law, industry professionals entering the K–12 system to teach in Career Technical Education (CTE) programs are placed on the Career Ladder at a level commensurate with their verified years of industry experience. However, once placed, these educators must receive four years of proficient or higher professional evaluations before advancing to the next rung of the Career Ladder. This legislation provides that eligible CTE educators may advance to the next Career Ladder rung after receiving one qualifying year of a proficient or higher professional evaluation. The legislation also extends this same placement and advancement structure to qualified Pupil Service Staff entering the K–12 system from the private sector. Licensed professionals—including, but not limited to, school psychologists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, audiologists, school counselors, school social workers, speech language pathologists, and school nurses—will have their verified years of relevant professional experience recognized for initial Career Ladder placement and may advance after one year of a proficient or higher professional evaluation. This change ensures appropriate recognition of experienced professionals entering public education while maintaining accountability through Idaho’s professional evaluation standards.

Adds to existing law to establish a public school social access pass program.

To create a social pass/program for homeschool students to attend events within a local school district. The intention is to integrate communities and develop cultural bonds. Students will need to adhere to activity standards, district/school conduct, and pay any additional one-time fees that may apply to a given event. Districts may charge up to $25 per social pass to make up administrative costs.

Adds to existing law to establish provisions regarding scholarship limitations for certain student athletes at public institutions of higher education.

In 2025, seven of Idaho’s eight universities and community colleges had roughly 250 foreign national student-athletes, most, if not all, of whom received some level of scholarship/financial assistance. Each has the opportunity to a earn valuable degree, but those degrees typically won’t be put to work in Idaho or the anywhere else in the United States. Foreign national student athletes by-and-large take the fruits of their free or discounted higher education back to their home countries to the benefit their own country’s workforce. In order to increase the chances that Idaho’s higher education institutions will produce more graduates who can become valuable and productive members of the workforce here in the State of Idaho as well as the United States, this bill proposes to limit the number of foreign nationals that can receive scholarships while participating in sports and instead increase the number of Idaho and U.S. student athletes who can receive those scholarships who then graduate and enter our workforce. This bill will result in more Idaho and U.S. student athletes at Idaho colleges and universities who will graduate and thereafter can become new teachers, medical professionals, police officers, mining and forestry experts, and farmers and ranchers, to name a few, here in Idaho and the United States of America.