Idaho Bills

Repeals a future effective law to retain it as it currently exists.

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 unitswouldbebasedon103supportunits. Thisprovisionenablestheminorityofschools, whichexperience 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.

Amends existing law to provide that approved nontraditional educator preparation programs may receive funding under certain circumstances.

Amends existing law to revise the career ladder.

Amends existing law to revise provisions regarding continuous improvement plans for school districts and public charter schools.

Amends existing law to revise provisions regarding mastery-based education.

Adds to existing law to provide flexible schedules and early graduation opportunities for college and career ready students.

Amends existing law to provide advanced opportunities funding for career technical education workforce training.

This legislation provides Advanced Opportunities funding for Career Technical Education Workforce Training. This will open up more opportunities for high school students to take Career Technical courses that lead to industry certifications if these courses are not offered in their high school. An example of this is providing more opportunities for students to participate in industry apprenticeships while in high school.

Amends existing law to provide for the expansion of virtual, blended, traditional, or other secondary career technical education programs, as approved by the Board of Career Technical Education.

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.

Adds to existing law to establish the Public Charter School Facilities Program.

Stating findings of the Legislature and recognizing Music in Our Schools Month.

Amends existing law to establish provisions regarding certificates for charter school administrators.

Unlike most states, Idaho requires charter school administrators to hold a traditional school administrator certificate. This lack of flexibility prevents some local boards of directors from hiring the administrator of their choice. This bill would create a new charter school administrator certificate as an alternative to traditional administrator certificates. Administrators would be eligible for a charter school administrator certificate if they (1) hold a bachelor's degree, (2) pass a criminal background check, (3) receive training on teacher evaluation, (4) demonstrate a charter school board of directors seeks to hire them and commits to overseeing their work, and (5) have a minimum amount of professional experience. This would not be a mandate on charter schools; charter school administrators could continue to hold a traditional administrator certificate or could hold a charter school administrator certificate.

Amends existing law to provide that the State Board of Education may require professional development credits as a condition of teacher certificate renewal but must recognize providing instruction in a professional development course or in a course at an institution of higher education as an option to complete required credits.

This bill clarifies Idaho Code Section 33-1204 to expressly authorize the state board of education to require professional development credits as a condition of certification renewal and to provide rule-making necessary to allow the teaching of said professional development courses as an optional means of completing the professional development credit requirement.

Amends and adds to existing law to provide for periodic reviews of the state's public school funding formula, to provide for student enrollment counts and rulemaking, and to provide for certain reports.

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.