Idaho State Board of Education approves enrollment based school funding, other items

Idaho (KMVT/KSVT) — The Idaho State Board of Education has approved a slate of ideas during their most recent meeting, including a permanent shift to enrollment-based school funding.

The board will shift away from daily attendance as a marker to calculate funding for public schools in the Gem State. The temporary rule to calculate using daily attendance was a temporary shift implemented during the height of COVID-19 to help stabilize public school funding.

The board also approved an idea to establish a program for paraprofessionals currently assisting Idaho teachers to become teachers without obtaining a bachelor’s degree first.

They say similar programs have been implemented in other states with success and will enable school districts to “grow their own” teachers in a bid to help alleviate shortages within the profession.

The State Board of Education also voted not to renew the charter for Another Choice Virtual Charter School.

“This is the first time a situation like this has occurred during my tenure on the Board,” Board President Kurt Liebich said. “We take this very seriously and we have great confidence in the Idaho Public Charter School Commission. I think this matter was handled very well.”

Governor Little will have these ideas, as well as others discussed during the meeting, presented to him for review and approval before being developed into formal legislative proposals.