Week 11

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[Week 11] Legislative Update:

This Week’s Highlights
🗝️ Key Education Legislative Actions: Week 11 brought the 2026 session into possibly its final days, with adjournment targeted for the end of the week. The Senate Education Committee did not meet this week, but the House Education Committee continued its work. Meanwhile, the full Senate and House floors were busy with education votes. The session is ending with significant decisions made on virtual learning, teachers’ unions, student safety, school choice, and civics education. Here is what families need to know.

FROM THE HOUSE EDUCATION COMMITTEE
🥔 STATE — Model School Facility Council (S 1439): This bill revises existing provisions related to Idaho’s Model School Facility Council, the body that helps establish guidelines for school building standards and infrastructure. School facilities directly affect the environments where Idaho’s children learn every day, from accessible spaces for students with disabilities to safe and adequate classrooms. This was heard in the House Education Committee this week.
Status: Heard in the House Education Committee; awaiting committee action.
🥔 STATE — Community Schools Strategy (SCR 126): This Senate Concurrent Resolution recognizes and supports the community schools strategy in Idaho. Community schools are public schools that partner with families and local organizations to provide wraparound services, things like mental health resources, basic needs support, and enrichment activities, so that students are supported beyond just academics. This approach can be especially powerful for families navigating complex needs.
Status: Heard in the House Education Committee this week; concurrent resolution does not require the Governor’s signature to take effect.
🥔 STATE — Civics Education (S 1336aa, Amended): We have been tracking this civics education bill throughout the session. This week, the House Education Committee considered the amended version of S 1336, which the Senate approved with changes earlier in the week. The Senate approved several amendments to Senate Bill 1336. One amendment removed a requirement for a new 8th-grade Western civilization course. Another change added entries to a list of “key historical documents” that students should understand, and the list now includes documents “emphasizing the fight for abolition of slavery and religious freedom.” The bill still significantly expands civics and American history requirements for Idaho students and establishes new curriculum standards tied to those subjects.
Status: Amended by the Senate; heard in the House Education Committee this week. Final legislative action expected before adjournment.

FROM THE SENATE FLOOR AND BEYOND:
🥔 STATE — Virtual Learning Budget Cuts: IDLA and Virtual Charter Schools (HB 940 / SB 1438 / SB 1444): The Senate passed policy and budget bills cutting about half the state funding for the Idaho Digital Learning Alliance (IDLA), the state’s online learning platform.
House Bill 940 takes an estimated $13.4 million from IDLA through several policy changes limiting the online courses that the state reimburses. The bill eliminates funding for IDLA’s elementary programs and driver’s education. It also prohibits “custom sections,” courses taken by students who are all from a single district, unless the district cannot find a teacher for the course. The bill also updates course fees: private-schoolers, home-schoolers, and public virtual school students would pay the full $445 fee to take an IDLA course, while brick-and-mortar public schools would pay up to $40 for courses that fulfill graduation requirements and at least $100 for courses that do not.
What this means: IDLA has been a lifeline for many students, particularly in rural Idaho, who needed access to courses their local schools could not offer. These cuts reduce the program significantly. Families who currently rely on IDLA should check with their school districts about how these changes will affect access to specific courses next school year.
The Senate also approved SB 1444, which takes $3 million in discretionary funding from virtual charter schools, a much lighter touch than the $21 million Governor Little recommended after an audit found Idaho’s largest virtual charter was giving teacher salary funding to parents, some of whom used the money on non-education purchases.
Status: HB 940 goes to the Governor’s desk. SB 1438 and SB 1444 go to the House.
🥔 STATE — Private School Tax Credit Cleanup (HB 934): The Senate approved a series of fixes to the state’s Parental Choice Tax Credit law. One key provision clarifies that students who qualify for the private school tax credits can also participate in non-credit sports programs and extracurricular activities at public schools.
Status: Passed the Senate 23-12; already passed the House, so it now goes to Governor Little’s desk.
🥔 STATE — SB 1288: High-Needs Special Education Fund, Final Update:
We have wonderful news to share on SB 1288, the $5 million high-needs special education fund we have been tracking all session. Governor Little signed the bill into law this week!
This is a meaningful win for Idaho families. Idaho’s special education funding gap exceeds $100 million, and students who need the most intensive services, including respiratory aides, speech therapy, and nursing care, are at the center of it. The fund will help cover IEP-related expenses for students whose costs exceed $30,000, providing real relief to school districts and the families they serve.
This is a starting point, not a finish line. The $5 million fund is a meaningful first step, but it does not close the full gap. IPUL will continue advocating for Idaho’s students with disabilities, and we will be back at the table in 2027.
Status: Signed into law by Governor Little this week.
🔹 What This Means for Families
This was a consequential final week. Here is what stands out:
Virtual learning is being significantly restructured. If your child takes IDLA courses, especially at the elementary level or through custom district sections, those options may no longer be available or affordable next school year. Connect with your school district now to understand what changes are coming.
The session is closing, but advocacy does not stop. Many of the bills passed this week go to Governor Little’s desk. If you want to weigh in on whether he signs or vetoes legislation, now is the time.

🗝️ Key Health & Welfare Legislative Actions
🥔 What about that $22 million in cuts to Medicaid services?
Idaho leaders approved about $22 million in cuts to Medicaid services for adults with disabilities. These cuts will reduce funding for supported living, a residential habilitation service that supports adults to live and function independently in their communities. These cuts reduce a provider rate increase given in 2022. This rate increase was in preparation for a new service. This new service was never implemented. Rather than eliminating services outright, state leaders pursued a way to balance the budget while still maintaining funding levels that are higher than they were in 2022.
🥔 The Idaho Legislature planned for a relatively short 2026 session, with leaders initially hoping to wrap up business and adjourn “sine die” (the official end of the session) by March 27. However, lawmakers remained in session beyond that target date as they worked to finalize budgets and policy decisions. Unlike some states, Idaho does not have a strict deadline to end its legislative session, so lawmakers can continue meeting until their work is complete.
Why such an extended session?
The extended session reflects ongoing discussions around the state budget and key policy priorities, including efforts to address revenue uncertainty and balance spending. While staying past the target date is not unusual, it can delay final decisions that impact families, especially in areas like healthcare, education, and disability services. Once lawmakers adjourn, or sine die, it signals that all major legislative work for the year has concluded and the focus shifts to implementation of new laws and budget decisions.

Get Involved!
Families can use IPUL’s Power of a Personal Story template to share how these proposals impact their children and communities.

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