Since its inception, special education has been underfunded nationwide.

Public schools are required to provide special services to fulfill the needs of students of all abilities — but they often aren’t given the money to do so, at least not all of it. The federal government’s promise to fund 40% of states’ special ed costs has never been fulfilled, and state governments often don’t make up the difference.

“For as long as I’ve been teaching and I’ve been in education, there has been a discrepancy between what a district spends to educate the students requiring special education services and what they’re actually reimbursed,” said Ryan Cantrell, a longtime educator and current chief deputy superintendent at the State Department of Education.

In Idaho, school districts and charters are left to fill that gap — and it’s nearing $67 million.

That hole causes local education agencies (a term that refers to public school districts and charters) to pinch pennies, shift around money, dip into discretionary funds and turn to local taxpayers to foot the bill. It contributes to high turnover rates among special education teachers and paraprofessionals, and ultimately can impact the level of resources and attention that students receive.

Education leaders know there’s a problem. But with an antiquated funding formula, which hasn’t been rewritten since 1994, and little movement from the federal government, solutions are hard to come by.

“It leaves districts to look at their own district budgets, and ask themselves: How are we going to cover the gap between what we receive from the federal government and what we receive from the State of Idaho, compared to the actual costs for our students to receive a special education?” said Cantrell.

Special education funding is complicated

There are nearly 37,000 special education students in Idaho — that’s about 11.6% of the state’s total student population.

Let’s put that into perspective — if all of Idaho’s special education students were lumped into one district, it would be the second largest in the state, just after West Ada, which sits at 40,000 students. 

But neither the state nor the federal government provides enough funding to cover the costs of all of those students and their needs. In the 2021-22 school year, the funding gap for special education sat at an estimated $66.5 million, taking into account federal and state appropriations. That leaves schools without funding for about 7,760 students.

Here’s a rundown of how special ed is funded, and how the gap is calculated

Public schools are required to fulfill the needs of every student in special education, no matter how costly it can be.

If a high-needs student moves into a district halfway through the year, and requires a full-time nurse to accompany them at school, the district must find a way to cover that cost, even if it takes up half of the annual special education budget.

And that’s how it should be, education leaders say.

“The school district cannot arbitrarily say, well, we can’t afford that,” said Cantrell. “We’re not going to do it. That’s not an option.”

Serving every child, no matter what level of ability, is public education’s purpose. Special education directors, teachers, paraprofessionals and other staff work tirelessly to ensure that students’ needs are fulfilled, even under significant funding crunches.

The state is also required to fund special education first — federal funding is a supplement to that.

Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), schools are bound by a provision known as Maintenance of Effort (MOE), which requires districts and charters to (barring a few exceptions) budget the same amount of money, or more, in their special education budgets year after year.

Essentially, once money goes to special education, it stays there.

In total, districts and charters spent about $317 million on special education statewide in the 2021-22 school year.

That amount includes only the expenditures that were 100% identifiable as special education costs — in reality, special education demands likely take up even more funding, but measuring those extra costs is difficult if they aren’t identified specifically as special education expenses on budget reports.

Of the total amount, about $215 million came out of the state’s general fund — the chief operating fund for school districts and charters statewide. The state allocates that amount based on two divisors — it covers special education costs for 5-6% of students. In Idaho, the actual percentage of students who need special education services hovers around 11-12%.

For the 21-22 academic year, the K-12 general fund sat at about $2.06 billion.

But only about $148 million of that was allocated by the state for special education, leaving districts and charters on the hook for the remaining $66.5 million, according to calculations from the State Department of Education.

And that’s just state funding.

Congress never fulfilled its special education funding promise

The federal government also disperses special education money, through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

When IDEA was enacted in 1975, Congress promised that the annual appropriations would cover 40% of a state’s annual special education expenditures.

But federal funding has never risen to that promise.

Nationally, IDEA funding has hovered around 18-20% for the past 48 years, with one spike to 33% in 2009, just following the recession. In Idaho, IDEA funding has never covered more than 20% of annual special education expenditures, and it varies between school districts based on their individual overall costs.

In fiscal year 2022, districts and charters received $61 million through IDEA. That funding is part of the $317 million in total special education expenditures.

Districts can also receive reimbursements for some health-related special education expenses through school-based Medicaid, but the process is cumbersome, said Ramona Lee, special education director for the West Ada School District.

Essentially, schools pay the full amount for Medicaid-eligible services first. They then submit a reimbursement form to the federal government — that form requires schools to provide a 30% match to the approved reimbursement amount, using state or local funds, not federal.

So, before receiving any money from the government, schools are on the hook for 100% of the cost of services. Schools then receive a partial reimbursement at a net 70% from the government.

“It’s like me giving you $3 and you giving me back $10,” said Lee.

And families can refuse Medicaid reimbursement, leaving some schools on the hook for 100% of the expenses anyway.

Between the allocated state funding ($148 million) and IDEA funding ($61 million), schools had about $209 million in special education funding to work with in FY22. With another $41 million offset through Medicaid reimbursements, the total gets up to about $250 million.

But to fulfill federal and state special education requirements, which include the maintenance of effort and IDEA requirements, districts are spending at least $66.5 million more on special education than they are allocated — for a total of $317 million.

In reality, that gap is likely more extensive, considering the special education expenses that aren’t 100% identifiable. And as more students are identified with disabilities, and the state continues to operate on an antiquated funding formula, the gap is widening.

Gap exacerbates staffing, funding challenges

Funding is tight, turnover is high and resources are hard to come by. The special education funding gap only exacerbates the challenges that already prevail in schools across the state.

In many cases, districts turn to local taxpayers for funding support through supplemental levies — many of which have a budgeted amount for salaries or special education services. But it’s growing harder to pass bonds and levies, as property taxes rise and education grows more polarized.

But when the special education budget is tight, districts are forced to split up the funding pie differently in order to meet their mandate. Districts can divert funding away from other areas of education, including those that are funded through discretionary funds. Many of those shifts have a double-edged impact on special education students, Lee says.

For example, if general education class sizes are increased to pay for a special education teacher or paraprofessionals, that still impacts special education students because they are general education students. They still use general education classrooms and services, and large class sizes will have an impact on learning no matter where it happens.

“All students that receive special ed services are gen ed students first,” Lee said. “So they still need a gen ed classroom, a teacher, books, a library, a principal, lights…all those things that come with education.”

And because funding is tight, districts have a harder time meeting every student’s needs, despite educators’ best efforts.

According to Kindel Mason, director of support services for the Twin Falls School District, and president of the national Council of Administrators of Special Education, special education is the number one litigated issue in schools nationwide, and funding is a major factor.

“A lot of school districts are doing everything they can to scramble and put things in place to meet the needs of kids,” said Mason. “But I would just say, either the law is very cumbersome…or a lack of resources is causing school districts to not be able to provide everything they need to.”

Still, staffing is the biggest challenge for special education right now, agreed Lee and Mason.

With limited funding, special education case loads are high — in Twin Falls, some teachers have 30-40 students in a resource room, and 10-15 students in an extended resource room, said Mason. For many educators, that level of work isn’t sustainable.

In West Ada, the teacher shortage looks a little different.

“We don’t have a shortage of special ed certified teachers,” said Lee. “We have a shortage of special ed certified teachers who are teaching special ed. A lot of them have dual endorsements…and a lot of them move to general ed because special ed does come with a lot of work. There’s a lot of paperwork, and because the funding formula is such a challenge, case loads are typically higher than they are in a lot of other states, and that’s hard.”

Both districts — like others across the state — are also struggling to hire paraprofessionals, the classified employees who do the grunt work to support classroom teachers.

In the case of parapros, the already dismal special education funding is further compromised by a $97 million classified staff funding gap, according to a 2022 report from the Office of Performance Evaluations. The struggles that districts face in hiring parapros for general education classrooms are multiplied when hiring for special education classrooms.

“Without the skill and support of these dream enhancers, the visionary SpEd teacher would drown in their duties and functions.” — Amy Watts, special education teacher and advisor at COSSA, Idaho Future Ready Academy.

“We did raise our rates by several dollars an hour, even above the general education paras to get those people in,” said Mason. “That seems to be working.”

But it comes at a cost, Mason says. When wages are raised, the district can’t hire as many people, leaving teachers without the extra hands that they need. When those hands disappear, Mason says, students lose out on critical one-on-one time with teachers, and teachers lose out on critical teaching time.

“Our biggest commodity is people doing the work,” he said.

‘The loyal para is the engine that keeps the enterprise running smoothly’ — but they’re hard to find

Amy Watts is a virtual, kindergarten through ninth grade special education teacher and advisor with the Canyon-Owyhee School Service Agency (COSSA) and Idaho Future Ready Academy. Before starting at COSSA, Watts taught special education in brick-and-mortar schools in the West Ada district, as well as Middleton. Watts says that paraprofessionals are essential to special education classrooms.

“One benefit of a special education classroom is the small class size, which allowed me to truly get to know the students,” Watts wrote to EdNews in an email. “I often had a classroom aide or other specialist in the room, so I could take time to address an individual student’s needs without worrying that such one-to-one attention was taking away from the group as a whole. This degree of personal investment and attention to the individual is crucial in a special education classroom, and it creates lifelong bonds that both the student and team find meaningful and rewarding.”

Now that she’s in an online teaching environment – a move she made in 2019 after watching her district’s elementary schools reach capacity – Watts says she doesn’t feel the pinch of the SpEd gap, but she knows it’s a real issue for many others.

“It is concerning to me that there is a demand for classified and supporting staff due to the low pay and need for better health insurance coverage,” Watts said. “Loyal paraprofessionals are hard to find, but once they are discovered, wise is the leader who values them. Special education paraprofessionals that I have worked with in the past have been rare and productive, constantly looking for ways to make the lead special education teacher successful in his or her classroom. They unselfishly serve behind the scenes, tirelessly and tediously. Because of a loyal team member’s sixth sense to anticipate needs, they know how to encourage excellence.”

“They learn to spur the lead SpEd teacher with thorough questioning and problem solving so the leader’s intuition can be clarified and verified. The loyal para is an encourager and an implementer. They get things done by converting the leader’s vision into reality. Without the skill and support of these dream enhancers, the visionary SpEd teacher would drown in their duties and functions…It is no secret that the loyal para is the engine that keeps the enterprise running smoothly.”

Incumbents Lucas Baclayon, René Ozuna and David Binetti are vying to hold on to their seats against challengers Tom Moore, Miguel DeLuna, Mari Gates and Susie Schuetz.

How do school trustees fit into the web of agencies and individuals that oversee what happens in Idaho classrooms? Check out our graphic to find out.

With the election approaching, EdNews reached out to the candidates. We asked three questions about their priorities for the district, and opinion on major issues impacting West Ada.

Here’s what they had to say, in their own words.

Why are you running for a spot on the West Ada School Board?

Lucas Baclayon, Incumbent (Zone 2): As an experienced teacher and administrator, I love being involved in education and supporting teachers and administrators in teaching the youth in our community.

Susie Schuetz, Challenger (Zone 2): I believe in giving back to my community. The best way I serve is by bringing people together and creating an environment conducive to forward progress and future sustainability. West Ada School District has done a great job and I am excited to be a part of moving us forward and continuing to build an even stronger community.

Dave Binetti, Incumbent (Zone 4)

I have two daughters attending West Ada schools, and want to provide the best possible education for them and every other student in the District. I’m dedicated to kids.

Miguel DeLuna, Challenger (Zone 4) — Answers submitted in conjunction with Tom Moore: 

Stop the downward spiral of education, Minimizing School Taxation, Enhancing Campus Security, Improving the Quality of Education, Supporting Idaho’s Conservative Family Values, Advocating for Parental Rights to Participate in the Education Process.

Mari Gates, Challenger (Zone 4): I’m running for West Ada School Board to be a part of a conversation. I want to provide a platform in which teachers and staff and parents can all be heard. I want to promote a higher acceptance rate for higher education. Increase access to programs for kids that are not going to college, and makes sure all kids have access to resources.

René Ozuna, Incumbent (Zone 5): I’m running for the West Ada School Board because I believe in the power of education to shape the future of our students, families, and community. I’ll serve as a voice for parents, teachers, and students, working collaboratively to ensure West Ada provides the highest quality education and prepares our students to be both college & career ready.

Tom Moore, Challenger (Zone 5) — Answers submitted in conjunction with Miguel DeLuna: 

Stop the downward spiral of education, Minimizing School Taxation, Enhancing Campus Security, Improving the Quality of Education, Supporting Idaho’s Conservative Family Values, Advocating for Parental Rights to Participate in the Education Process.

What do you hope to accomplish as a trustee? What are your top three priorities?

Baclayon: My top three priorities are:

1. Ensure that effective teachers and supportive parents both play a role in education.

2. Ensure that learning environments are as free from distractions as possible.

3. Ensure that each student is given the opportunity to succeed both in the classroom and in life.

Schuetz: As one of five trustees, I can only promise communication. My hope is that communication will build our strength as a community.

– Effective Communications

– Having access to information is not the same as understanding the information. While public information is accessible, it also needs to be digestible for everyone. Open and respectful dialog is an important piece of a strong community.

– Financial Transparency – Taxpayers have the right to know and understand how tax dollars are used. When we don’t understand, I believe we have a civic duty to question fiscal decisions. Transparency in all matters of taxpayer funds is the cornerstone of community trust.

– Generational Investments – I believe we all want better for our children than what we had – ‘better’ being a relative term. Our emotional, financial, and time investments in the children of our community today are the foundation for our future, their future, and the future of our collective grandchildren.

Binetti: 1) Managing Growth: Development and implementation of a long-term, cost-effective facilities plan for the benefit of our kids. 2) Retaining and Recruiting Talent: Expansion of the District’s reputation as a place for professional development and advancement. 3) Building Trust: Enhancement of the public’s confidence that West Ada provides our kids with the best-possible public education.

DeLuna: Forensic audit of the levy and general funds. To ensure that WASD has used the funds legally and with the conditions placed on the funds.

Restore the lack of transparency and trust inside the district. WASD has develop a lack of trust for the majority of voters in the district. This lack of trust is one reason 58% voted against the Plant Facility Levy.

Security of all of the schools. I will demand that all of the elementary schools needs to have a School Resource Officers and the middle and high schools need two School Resource Officers. We do not want to be the next Uvalde or Parkland School shootings.

Gates: I want to promote conversation and a table for people to come to have their issues heard. I want to cut through the noise and the emotion and get to to true root of our mission – providing the best quality education for our kids in this area.

Ozuna: Currently serving as the Zone 5 Trustee, I’ve had the privilege of witnessing the dedication and hard work of our students, educators, staff, and administration. If re-elected, my priority will continue to be expanding upon the great work already being done, including the 2023 ISAT results that placed West Ada at the top for both English Language Arts (ELA) and Math proficiency among Idaho’s largest school districts.

Top 3 priorities:

1. Put kids & families first – Always

2. Expand opportunities for all students including: – Career and Technical Education – Schools of Choice – Personalized Learning Options – Extracurricular Programs

3. Be fiscally conservative in managing growth and school facility needs.

Moore: Forensic audit of the levy and general funds. To ensure that WASD has used the funds legally and with the conditions placed on the funds.

Restore the lack of transparency and trust inside the district. WASD has develop a lack of trust for the majority of voters in the district. This lack of trust is one reason 58% voted against the Plant Facility Levy.

Security of all of the schools. I will demand that all of the elementary schools needs to have a School Resource Officers and the middle and high schools need two School Resource Officers. We do not want to be the next Uvalde or Parkland School shootings.

Growth is one of the biggest factors impacting West Ada schools right now. What is your plan to help the district deal with growth, especially considering that there won’t be another opportunity to float a bond or levy until May 2024?

Baclayon: Growth is and will continue to be a major issue in West Ada. The school board needs to ensure that the district has access to reasonable resources to ensure that each student can still receive the best education possible in West Ada.

Schuetz: Working with the community to understand the concerns and desires as it relates to schools and growth is paramount.

Communication about the impacts and uses of a bond or levy is critical.

Because this levy failed, the District is pivoting. My plan is to understand the problem we need to solve and review the proposed solutions to ensure they are efficient and effective.

Binetti: We should continue to develop and promote a long-term approach that meets our long-term needs, but traunch it such that it can secure the necessary public support to be successful. In other words, I want to be thinking in terms of decades but acting in terms of years.

DeLuna: We need to downsize the district, meaning building less schools. One enrollment is down and is highly likely to continue on a downward trend, especially if School Choice passes. School choice, real choice is expected to pass in this upcoming legislative year. WASD needs to be prepared a plan to accommodate this reduction of students. This year there will be a 7 million reduction of state funding originating for changing funding from enrollment to attendance. I will ensure that the very last funding cuts will not come from school security, the education learning experience and teachers and staff salaries. We can’t build our way out of an overcrowding situation”. We need a paradigm shift in our thinking. We need to wait and measure the reduction in enrollment from school choice before we build a building we may not need. The district must look at other options and alternatives to building new buildings. Look at what other states are doing with modular buildings and repurposed vacant commercial spaces that save property taxpayers millions of $$$$ foolishly.

Gates: This is a tough issue. We need to be looking down the road at more schools, keeping our teachers here, and making sure teacher attrition isn’t due to something we can fix. We need to consider the possibility of dividing the district into smaller more accessible chunks.

Ozuna: The bonds approved in 2015 and 2018 were used to construct five new schools, add capacity at four existing schools and acquire two school sites for future needs, but our community continues to experience substantial growth. With the ongoing influx of families to our community, it is essential that we proactively address the growing demand on our school facilities. I am committed to supporting strategies from our past experiences, such as the use of portable buildings and repurposing non-educational spaces to create additional classrooms. In addition, community engagement is of paramount importance. I will actively involve our community in meaningful discussions about the best way to meet our facility requirements. Concurrently, our state legislators are engaged in discussions regarding funding for school facilities. Notably, despite the rapid growth, our prudent management of debt led to a noteworthy achievement: the L2 form approved in September reduced the West Ada levy to $60 per $100,000 – a testament to our conservative approach to managing debt.

Moore: We need to downsize the district, meaning building less schools. One enrollment is down and is highly likely to continue on a downward trend, especially if School Choice passes. School choice, real choice is expected to pass in this upcoming legislative year. WASD needs to be prepared a plan to accommodate this reduction of students. This year there will be a 7 million reduction of state funding originating for changing funding from enrollment to attendance. I will ensure that the very last funding cuts will not come from school security, the education learning experience and teachers and staff salaries. We can’t build our way out of an overcrowding situation”. We need a paradigm shift in our thinking. We need to wait and measure the reduction in enrollment from school choice before we build a building we may not need. The district must look at other options and alternatives to building new buildings. Look at what other states are doing with modular buildings and repurposed vacant commercial spaces that save property taxpayers millions of $$$$ foolishly.

Incumbents Joy Thomas, J.D. Grant and Russ Johnson each face one challenger: Hillary Lowe, Kristi Hardy and Michael Thornton. Each position is a four-year commitment.

How do school trustees fit into the web of agencies and individuals that oversee what happens in Idaho classrooms? Check out our graphic to find out.

With the Nov. 7 election approaching, EdNews reached out to each candidate to ask about their goals for the school board.

Here’s what they had to say.

Why are you running for a spot on the Kuna School Board?

Joy Thomas, Incumbent (Zone 1): My passion is education and serving my community. When you add those two together, to me, it means serving on the school board. When a board is cohesive and holds leadership accountable, including themselves, kids succeed! I am proud of what we have accomplished in the eight years I have been on the board and I want to see us continue to do better for kids and the sake of our community.

Hillary Lowe, Challenger (Zone 1): I am motivated to serve, not by specific issues, but by principles that I believe will determine the success of our schools and community. I believe that as the governing body, the Board of Trustees should lead the district by asking hard questions, listening to stakeholders, making purposeful decisions, and wholeheartedly supporting students, families, and educators. I believe that parental involvement is a foundational principle for the success of students and communities and that schools should focus primarily on traditional values in education.

J.D. Grant, Incumbent (Zone 2): I am passionate about education. I grew up with few resources but still became a doctor. I want to encourage the youth that the sky is the limit. I am very connected with the community through my dental office and volunteering as a coach for the last 16 years. I can bridge the gap with the patrons of the district to the administration for effective communication.

Kristi Hardy, Challenger (Zone 2): With 15 years in the community and four children attending 7 of the 11 Kuna public schools, I understand the critical need for an education that prepares our kids for their future. Drawing on my experience as a former preschool teacher and active involvement in various school committees, I’ve gained valuable insights. Years of attending school board meetings and volunteering have highlighted essential priorities that need adjustments. I’m driven by the desire to contribute and ensure the voices of the community are heard in shaping their children’s education.

Russ Johnson, Incumbent (Zone 5): To continue the work I started in 2019, including mitigating the effects of growth in our district to help provide for learning spaces and quality education for students in the district, to continue to be frugal and wise with taxpayers funds, and to partner with all stakeholders to improve and move public education forward in our district. Public education is vital to our economy, our families, and the community.

Michael Thornton, Challenger (Zone 5): I am running for School Board Zone 5 this fall to give back to my beloved Kuna community. As a fourth-generation local, I’ve seen the positive impact of a quality education in our schools. I cherish the memories of my own education here and want to ensure my children and others have the same opportunities. My family has a deep- rooted history of community involvement, inspiring me to continue that legacy. I aim to plan for Kuna’s future, adapting to its growth and ensuring our children receive the best education to thrive and contribute to our wonderful community.

What do you hope to accomplish as a trustee? What are your top three priorities?

Thomas: 1. Our kids need to have safe places to learn. That includes having smaller class sizes. The best way to do that is building more space. All of our schools are either at capacity or over. That is not acceptable for me! In addition to being creative in ways to fund building we need to pass a bond and soon.

2. Our test scores are not at the level we would like to see. I believe that test scores are not the end all and be all, but we need to do better. That includes making sure that teachers have the curriculum they need to guide the learning and we need excellent leaders to get there.

3. I love that since I have been on the board that our CTE Program has gone from 6 choices to 27! I am always looking for ways to help build that program. I feel like it is very important in a community like Kuna that kids know they don’t have to go to a four year college to provide for their families in the future!

Lowe: Leadership – The Board of Trustees is the decision-making body for the policy and should set the direction of the Kuna School District, not respond to it. As a Trustee, I will ask hard questions, listen intently, and make decisions for the good of the students and community. Clear communication is important, including listening to stakeholders. I will prioritize logic over emotion in making decisions.

Support and Accountability – I intend for Kuna to be the district of choice for the best quality teachers and administrators. I will wholeheartedly support those who serve our children and hold them accountable for equally high standards.

Financial Responsibility – Operation of the Kuna School District requires a substantial investment from taxpayers. I will direct those resources where they will make the most impact on students, reduce waste and inefficiencies, and plan wisely for the future. If required, bonds and levies should be presented to voters with full transparency. I value private property rights and recognize the effects of property taxes on school district stakeholders.

Parental Involvement – The proper role of public schools is to support the family in educating children. Policies and practices should allow and encourage parental involvement in every step of their childrens’ education.

Grant: 1. Increase student achievement.

2. Decrease class sizes.

3. Work with the city and developers to collect mitigation fees.

4. Push for legislation to be able to collect impact fees for education.

Hardy: 1. Better parental partnerships: I aim to implement policies that foster strong parental involvement in education, emphasizing transparency and guarding against unwelcome agendas.

2. Greater fiscal responsibility: Given the urgent need for more classroom space in Kuna, gaining community trust is vital for garnering public support. I’m committed to responsible allocation of every dollar to ensure efficient use.

3. Increased student achievement: Kuna’s ISAT scores have consistently fallen below State averages during the incumbent’s tenure in both math and language arts. Kuna Middle School’s recent identification for comprehensive improvement underscores the need for urgent action.

Johnson: 1- Continue to develop communication and partnerships with the City of Kuna, other planning agencies and developers in our area to find innovative and strategic ways to mitigate growth. We have increased our level of communication and trust with the City greatly, I would like to continue that effort and do more to use new and existing strategies to mitigate the impact on existing taxpayers.

2- Continue our work with “defeasance” and levy rates to keep tax rates as low as possible, and still provide quality learning and quality learning spaces.

3- Continue with our innovations and expansion with all learning programs such as CTE as well as existing and well established programs such as FFA. Keep our partnerships with all stakeholders to find win/win solutions to the problems that face us in our District.

Thornton: Empowering Parents: I believe in involving parents in their children’s education and policies. Transparency and collaboration ensure a quality education and a safe, informed environment for our students.

Fiscal Responsibility: Kuna’s growth demands responsible spending by focusing on essential needs like, classroom expansions and building maintenance, while remaining transparent about financial decisions.

Property Taxes: As a farmer, I understand the impact of property taxes. I aim for a balance that respects private property rights, maintains low taxes, and invests in our community’s future.

Growth is one of the biggest factors impacting Kuna schools right now. What is your plan to help the district deal with growth, especially considering that there won’t be another opportunity to float a bond or levy until May 2024?

Thomas: I think it is not what we would do it is what we ARE doing. We are striving to use every space we have to educate kids safely. In the future, if we are not able to pass a bond, we may have to consider year round school, redraw the attendance boundaries, or possibly a four day school week. No options are off the table at this point. Even if we do pass a bond soon, it will be 2 to 3 years before a school is built and ready to be used. We are going to have to be creative, with the help of the community, to find solutions! I will continue to push for impact fees with our state legislature. We will continue to work with the cities on development. In partnership with developers we can make the amount we ask for in a bond lower. I want the smallest burden on our tax payers as possible.

Lowe: Crowded schools are certainly something to be concerned about. To build more schools, the district will need money. I don’t know of another way.

Grant: First growth should pay for growth. In the last 3-4 years I have been spear heading the work with the city and developers to collect mitigation fees. We have collected 5.5 million dollars for eduction with this process. We have worked with the state to help pass legislation to collect impact fees. Then lastly we have to educate the public of the need for bonds and levies if the options are not working. My goal is to continue this work for another 4 years.

Hardy: Serving on the year-long capital planning committee makes me uniquely equipped to evaluate how to use our current spaces and find solutions temporarily. My priority is to optimize existing spaces by adjusting school boundaries and reducing underused programs. Through strategic changes to the last bond initiative, I am confident we can secure approval in 2024. I have identified ways to implement substantial taxpayer savings of over $25 million compared to the previous bond request. With the right leadership we will gain the trust of the community that is necessary to pass a bond.

Johnson: We have already undertaken the process to identify our strategies. We are pretty good at working hard to identify areas we need to improve, and that process has already started and has happened throughout the summer.

Obtaining more “buy-in” and urgency from our parents and other stakeholders will be important.

Grow and expand our partnerships with the City of Kuna, other planning agencies in our District, as well as expand our willing partnerships with developers to mitigate.

Explore all options for additional positive changes to State law, ordinances and implementation of existing law.

Thornton: Focus on utilizing the resources that we do have available and making sure that we are taking care of immediate needs.

How do school trustees fit into the web of agencies and individuals that oversee what happens in Idaho classrooms? Check out our graphic to find out.

With the Nov. 7 election day approaching, EdNews reached out to each candidate to ask about their campaign priorities and strategy for serving on an elected board.

Here’s what they had to say.

Why are you running for a spot on the Caldwell School Board?

Manuel Godina, Incumbent (Zone 2): I am running because I have a heart of service. I care about the place I live and the people who live here. I care about the children of our community and am committed that they grow up to be contributing citizens. Having been on the board for the past four years has provided me with knowledge of how our education works and what our state constitution requires of a school board when it comes to local governance; which is to establish and maintain a general, uniform and thorough system of public, free common schools.

Ray Horrell, Challenger (Zone 2): Obviously, the current board of trustees is not getting the job done. 2022-23 Caldwell school stats: Reading proficiency = 31%, Math proficiency = 17%, Meeting college readiness benchmarks = 11%.

Travis Manning, Incumbent (Zone 3): I am running because I care deeply about my community and making sure all kids receive a quality education. I want all kids to attend strong schools with safe, focused learning environments. We need teachers and staff who all feel supported in this important work. Being a teacher is a challenging profession. I know from firsthand experience.

As a parent and educator myself, I’m also running to be a common sense voice for public schools. I have a lot of insight into how to best help maintain a strong public school system. It’s an important responsibility to help prepare and mentor the next generation of community, nation and world leaders.

A strong Caldwell School District means a strong Caldwell community. Well-prepared kids are more likely to create stronger families, the backbone of society. We cannot create this stronger society alone; we must work together.

Nicole Trakel, Challenger (Zone 3): I am running for Caldwell School Board Trustee, foremost, because I have three children, two of which are currently enrolled in Caldwell schools. I have been attending nearly all the board meetings for over three years now. I had been thinking about running when I learned of an awful thing that had happened. A lady who had been teaching preschool to developmentally delayed children was abusing non-verbal 3 and 4 year-olds. The board has had at least three parents, myself included, and I’m sure some requests through email, ask for cameras to be put into the developmental preschool, yet the board has not even acknowledged the request during any meeting where it was brought up. Parents need to be listened to and acknowledged; time and time again over the last three years I have seen them being ignored.

Andrew Butler, Incumbent (Zone 4): My reason for running is simple. It is because of my kids. I want to make sure that they are getting the best education possible. That they have the same opportunities or better opportunities than I did when I was in school. Knowing that the decisions I make in the boardroom directly affect my family and the hundreds of families in Caldwell is what keeps me focused.

Nicole Hyland, Challenger (Zone 4): I am seeking the Caldwell School Board Trustee zone 4 seat because I believe that I can and will bring a fresh attitude and perspective to not only the school board but to the students and the staff. I am seeking to restore quality education in our schools and integrity in our administration.

What do you hope to accomplish as a trustee? What are your top three priorities?

Godina: I want to continue the collaboration we have between our board, our district office, our educators, all school personnel, and our patrons. We have set a mission of nurturing growth, eliminating obstacles, and strengthening our community.

The goals I will always strive for are to 1) recruit and retain educators, 2) increase our graduation rate and 3) add to our CTE programs. It is important for our students to have options to be successful after graduating from high school.

I care about our students struggle with academics, the increase in depression and anxiety our kids are facing, the behavior challenges that are being experienced in our classrooms. I will strive to work with the board to address these issues.

Horrell: I hope to return to a quality education free from anti-family and anti-American curriculum. Ensure that the parents are involved in all situations regarding their children. Nothing will be hidden from the parents and they will be given the ultimate authority over all decisions regarding their children. We need to use our tax dollars wisely and frugally. Cut all unnecessary expenses and overhead.

Manning: Early learning. Caldwell offers full-day kindergarten for all families who choose it. It’s critical our youngest children learn how to function in a school setting and begin learning the basics. CSD preschool programs also provide extra support for many kids in need.

Building student leaders. Whether it’s the Caldwell Mayor’s Youth Advisory Council or Future Hispanic Leaders of America, Everyday Leadership or TechGirlz, it’s critical to help our kids learn to be leaders and contributing members of society.

Community partnerships. In collaboration with our schools and families, CSD works with dozens of community stakeholders to help our kids and families.

Trakel: My top three priorities at a trustee would be: improve academic achievement, increase parental involvement at the class, school and district level and to use precious tax dollars wisely in order to get the maximum benefit for the dollars spent. We have to do better for our graduates than sending them off into adulthood with only 11% being considered college/career ready. There are several benchmarks Idaho uses to assess college/career readiness. Caldwell spends more than the state average per student yet their assessment scores continue to fall way below the state averages. We are consistently told money fixes low test scores but I believe parent involvement plays a huge roll. I want to help schools and classrooms create opportunities for parents to volunteer, share a skill or talent, and overall be more involved and invested in their child(ren)’s education. I also want to revaluate our budget and curriculums to be sure we are making the most of each dollar and that those precious tax dollars are making it all the way into the classrooms where they most benefit the teachers and students.

Butler: I am proud of the work that was accomplished the past couple of years on the Caldwell School District’s Strategic Plan. We had an amazing group of parents, patrons, business owners, educators, students, and trustees work on what the next 5 years Caldwell School District needs to focus on. I believe that is where our focus needs to be. With that being said a couple of points that I feel are important are: ensuring every student has opportunities for success, providing strong stewardship of taxpayer investments, and preparing every student for future success.

Hyland: As the next CSD zone 4 trustee, I hope to accomplish direct working relationships with all students, teachers and staff and the current district administration. My top 3 priorities are/will be:

1) Getting Parents and students involved more. Including future workshops and better School board meeting attendance and parental input. Parents are the FIRST and should be the only stakeholder in their children’s education.

2) Drastically improving student success and test scores- right now only 17% of CHS graduates are proficient (at basic levels) in Math and 31% are proficient in Reading.

3) Restoring quality education in the classroom- right now Caldwell schools are distracted by woke ideologies and inappropriate books and propaganda. Caldwell School District needs a complete redesign, and, in these situations, the best avenue is to start over with the basics and find out what works and move forward. This should be a priority for all parents.

How do you plan to help the Caldwell School District navigate difficult conversations and controversial issues?

Godina: I am the incumbent and take seriously the training provided by the Idaho School Board Association to better understand the duties of a school board trustee. I do not promote fear and extremism. I understand what programs are funded by federal monies and the need for federal funds. My goal is to sit at the table with my fellow trustees to work on solutions to reach attainable goals especially those set out in our Continuous Improvement Plan. I aim to focus on students’ needs. We can achieve this by making decisions based on evidence, research, and the needs of our kids versus political ideology or partisanship. I strongly believe in open communication, transparency, accountability, diverse representation and most importantly, RESPONSIBLE GOVERNANCE.

Horrell: Listening to all parties involved, especially the parents and students. Hear all sides of the story. Recommend proper help on a case by case situation. One size does not fit all.

Manning: Partisanship has no place in governing public schools where kids are the main clientele. Focusing on student academic growth and development is, and should be, the main focus of school trustees; it has been for me. It’s unfortunate that some have attempted to hijack school board meetings for partisan purposes. Political grandstanding has no place in the governance of our local public schools. I will do as I have done my past two terms in office and remain focused on making sure our kids, teachers and schools have the resources they need to maximize their growth and potential.

Trakel: The first part of my plan would be to listen. I would read and respond to as many emails as I could. This is huge given my experience and that of many others I know, who have tried emailing board members. If there was a topic which necessitated its own meeting in order to give parents and community members time to share their thoughts, I would encourage the board to host a special meeting at a bigger venue. This would allow time for people to weigh in on the issue. I would reach out to people on both sides of an issue to learn as much as I could.

Butler: One of the things that I feel I have done well as a trustee the past 4 years is being able to listen to all sides of a situation before making a decision. Being able to hear another point of view that challenges your own is the best way to navigate difficult situations to find solutions. Making decisions based on emotions or outside influences is a recipe for disfunction. All I can promise is my own actions and continue to be respectful when disagreements arise. I think this is something that our current board has done very well.

Hyland: Parents! Parents are the common denominator in this broken equation. In my opinion, CSD has treated district parents like a numerator that gets pushed all over the place. I truly believe that if parents were knowledgeable or were encouraged to take their seat at the head of the table, the district would have an easier time communicating during any conversation to be had. So, I do plan to incorporate parents (as much as possible) back into the equation.

I would like to see positive changes with how the CSD communicates as a whole, which would include open dialogues regarding difficult topics- including controversial subjects. It is important that we, as a board, promote an open and friendly line of communication between our district students, teachers/staff, and administrators. I think one of the reasons why CSD schools are struggling is because of the lack of meaningful and diligent conversations between the current school board and the school admin directly. Therefore, I do plan to ask a lot of questions of teachers/staff/admin and of parents too. After all, parents just want to know their concerns/comments are heard.

I want everyone to know that I WILL listen to you, but more importantly, I will hear you!

School districts statewide are gearing up for another busy election season.

On Nov. 7, voters across 14 counties will see bond or levy asks on their ballots, totaling $168.2 million. The proposals include Pocatello’s $45 million ask — partly to upgrade and restore Highland High School after a devastating fire in April — and a $67.8 million bond that would fund the construction of a new high school in Shelley.

Not sure how to vote? Visit the secretary of state’s voter information website to check your voter registration status, identify your polling place, and preview your November ballot. You can also request an absentee ballot.

November’s election is the last chance for districts to pass ballot measures before May, after the Idaho Legislature eliminated the March election date during the 2023 legislative session.

Bonds and levies are complicated. Read our in-depth explanation of each type of school ballot measure to make sure you’re prepared before election day.

Shelley

• What: A $67.8 million school bond.
• What’s at stake? The proposal would pay for a new high school.
• Impact: The tax burden would be about $259 per $100,000 in taxable assessed value per year. But with expected reductions from the state, the district expects the total tax burden to be about $221 for all its bonds and levies. Bonds need a 66.67% supermajority vote to pass.
• For more information, visit the district’s voter information page.

Pocatello

• What: A $45 million school bond.
• What’s at stake? If passed, the bond would pay for renovations and enhancements at Highland High, which was damaged in a fire, and improvements to Century High School’s gyms.
• Impact: The bond would add to the tax burden about $37 per $100,000 in taxable assessed value, per year. Already on the books, voters approved the renewal of the district’s 2-year supplemental levy in March 2023, and voters approved the renewal of the district 10-year school plant facility levy in March 2020. The district expects to receive from the state’s bond equalization fund an amount each year that will exceed the annual payments on the bond.
• For more information, visit the district’s voter information page.
• Check out past coverage of the bond issue: What does it take to pass a bond in Idaho? Maybe Pocatello-Chubbuck has the answer.

Nampa

• What: A two-year, $14,780,000-per-year supplemental levy ($29,560,000 total). 
• What’s at stake? This proposal would fund a myriad of school operations costs, including: $4.53 million for continued and supplemental salaries, $2 million for maintenance, $2 million for curriculum, $2 million for technology, $1.5 million for athletic turf, $1 million for other athletics, and a slew of lower costs for security, playgrounds and more. This levy would replace the district’s existing levy, which is set to expire in June.
• Impact: The tax burden would be about $72 per $100,000 in taxable assessed value, an increase of about $13 from the rate under the existing levy. However, the district expects the bond equalization fund to reduce that amount by about $20 per $100,000. Supplemental levies need a simple majority vote to pass.
• For more information, visit the district’s voter information page.

Kellogg

• What: A two-year, $2.95 million-per-year supplemental levy ($5,916,800 total).
• What’s at stake? This replacement levy funds up to 25% of Kellogg’s annual operating budget.
• Impact: The tax burden would be about $215.37 per $100,000 in taxable assessed value. That is a $146.42 drop from the district’s existing levy.
• For more information, visit the district’s voter information page.

Minidoka

• What: A two-year, $2,250,000-per-year supplemental levy ($4.5 million total). 
• What’s at stake? This proposal would replace the district’s existing levy. It allots $1.26 million for technology, safety and security projects, and another $1 million for maintenance, repairs, equipment and furniture.
• Impact: The tax burden would be about $81.64 per $100,000 in taxable assessed value.
• For more information, visit the district’s voter information page.

Wallace

• What: A two-year, $1,700,000-per-year supplemental levy ($3.4 million total). 
• What’s at stake? This replacement levy would fund the gap between state funding and actual operating costs in Wallace. The levy makes up approximately 33% of the district’s annual budget.
• Impact: The tax burden is expected to stay the same, at $268.74 per $100,000 in taxable assessed value.
• For more information, contact the Wallace School District.

Mountain View

• What: A one-year, $3.136 million supplemental levy.
• What’s at stake? The proposal would fund salaries, benefits, educational materials, technology and special education costs throughout the district. According to the district, it will use all of its reserves during the 2023-24 school year, minus the equivalent of four operating weeks. For 2024-25, this levy would keep schools operating.
• Impact: The tax burden would be about $171 per $100,000 in taxable assessed value.
• For more information, visit the district’s website.

Middleton

• What: A two-year, $1.5 million-per-year supplemental levy ($3 million total).
• What’s at stake? The proposal would renew the district’s existing supplemental levy, which is set to end in June. It would fund a range of costs, including: $500,000 for curriculum adoption, over $700,000 for certified and classified staff salaries, $80,000 for a school resource officer and $100,000 for building maintenance.
• Impact: The tax burden would be about $38 per $100,000 in taxable assessed value per year. But taxpayers shouldn’t see a change, since the current levy also costs $38 per $100,000.
• For more information, visit the district’s voter information page.

Kimberly

• What: A two-year, $800,000-per-year supplemental levy ($1.6 million total).
• What’s at stake? The proposal would fill the gap between state allocations and actual operating expenses. It’s an extension of the district’s existing levy.
• Impact: The tax burden would be about $69 per $100,000 in taxable assessed value, a reduction of $6.28 from the district’s existing levy.
• For more information, visit the district’s voter information page.

Basin

• What: A two-year, $792,000-per-year supplemental levy ($1,584,000 total).
• What’s at stake? The proposal would fill gaps in state funding for salaries and benefits, school safety, curriculum, transportation and more.
• Impact: The tax burden would be about $73.11 per $100,000 in taxable assessed value, but that amount is expected to decrease after state reductions from the bond equalization fund.
• For more information, visit the district’s voter information page.

Salmon

• What: A two-year, $540,000-per-year supplemental levy ($1,080,000 total).
• What’s at stake? The proposal would fund arts and education programs throughout the district, including: $150,000 for athletics, $90,000 for music, $95,000 for vocational agriculture education, $18,000 for drama, $12,000 for the library and art and yearbook, and $70,000 for education materials. It would replace an existing levy that is set to expire in June.
• Impact: The tax burden would be about $25.27 per $100,000 in taxable assessed value, a $3.40 increase from the district’s current levy.
• For more information visit the district’s website.

Filer

• What: A two-year, $500,000-per-year supplemental levy ($1 million in total).
• What’s at stake? The bulk of this levy — $400,000 per year — would fund classified and certified staffing positions. The remainder would fund supplies and extracurriculars. This is a replacement levy.
• Impact: The tax burden is expected to stay at $51 per $100,000 in taxable assessed income, which is the current rate under the district’s existing levy.
• For more information, contact the Filer School District.

North Gem

• What: A two-year, $350,000-per-year supplemental levy ($700,000 total).
• What’s at stake? The proposal would fill in gaps in state funding to allow the district to maintain and operate its schools.
• Impact: The tax burden would be about $213 per $100,000 in taxable assessed value. The district did not provide any details about whether it expected contributions from the bond equalization fund.
• For more information, contact the North Gem School District.

West Side

• What: A five-year, $120,000-per-year plant facilities levy ($600,000 total).
• What’s at stake? Plant facilities levies go toward building updates, repairs and remodels, or other facilities needs. This proposal would replace an existing plant facilities levy in the district.
• Impact: The tax burden would be about $37.30 per $100,000 in taxable assessed income. That’s an increase of  $24.87 from the current rate of $12.43 under the district’s existing levy. This plant facilities levy needs a 55% majority vote to pass.
• For more information, contact the West Side School District.

“I think that’s an ant, but it could be this,” said one girl, pointing to an insect diagram. “We’re learning our outside skills,” she told EdNews. “And trying not to get sucked into the mud.”

“I love digging!” exclaimed a boy from a few feet over, his hands buried. “I like getting my hands dirty!”

That’s just a glimpse of one week at the McCall Outdoor Science School (MOSS), a University of Idaho program that serves K-12 students through hands-on science education.

From Oct. 2-6, students from Boise’s Future Public School and Meridian’s Project Impact STEM Academy headed to the McCall field campus to apply their classroom knowledge to the great outdoors.

Led by a team of University of Idaho graduate students, the middle schoolers formed questions about the world around them, and used science to find the answers — they breathed the fresh air, worked with the earth and together, improved their scientific literacy.

Immersive experience expands the idea of who can be a scientist

When most students arrive at MOSS, they’re used to learning about science in a standard classroom. But MOSS bucks the traditional setting, trading in worksheets and fluorescent lighting for field work under the sun.

Students stay in yurts, eat locally sourced meals and immerse themselves in the natural world around them. They develop their own research ideas, work with a team to answer scientific questions and apply their classroom knowledge to the real world.

By encouraging students to engage with each other and the world around them, MOSS hopes to push the limits on who can be a scientist.

“Who can be a scientist? Who is able to engage in that process?” inquired Beth Kovechar, K-12 Program Development Coordinator for MOSS. “It’s not just fancy professors. We can all make observations and connections between what we’re seeing, and then contribute to the community and based on those observations.”

“Science isn’t just for ‘smart kids,'” added Gary Thompson, MOSS’s Marketing and Leadership Coordinator.

That attitude has a huge impact on kids, Kovechar continued — especially kids who don’t typically thrive in traditional classroom settings.

“They go out, explore, make observations and work together with their classmates, and they do so knowing that distractions are all around, and that’s the point,” Kovechar said. “In a classroom setting, those types of distractions are seen as maybe detrimental to learning, whereas here, it really adds to the learning. They thrive really well here because they can get in the mud, look at bugs and do all the things they’re normally not supposed to do.”

And the kids take that to heart.

In the field, the sixth graders were invested in the research.

They identified insects and got their hands dirty. They dug holes and stuck probes into the ground to analyze the soil temperature and makeup.

They became scientists.

Students of all ages learn together

An extension of the University of Idaho, MOSS doubles as a graduate program.

Graduate students studying Environmental Education and Science Communication live, teach and learn at the McCall field campus. They lead the daily lesson plans, and every week, guide their young counterparts through the scientific inquiry process and through field work. After 10.5 months at MOSS, they’ll receive their masters of natural resources degrees.

This  allows students to put what they’re learning in the classroom — whether that’s pedagogical styles, research methods or science literacy — into practice immediately.

“It’s really rewarding to be able to learn teaching strategies in class and then be able to apply it almost immediately the next week,” said one graduate student at MOSS. “And then the next week we review it, so there’s immediate feedback, which is really awesome. It’s really nice to have that intentional time to digest and reflect and go back over everything we’ve done.”

Another student, a former classroom teacher, said that MOSS has allowed him to expand his idea of what education can look like.

“Outdoor education has been a really interesting and fun challenge to dive into,” he said. “To be out here with nature as your classroom is just wildly awesome. It’s full of opportunities. We’re given a lot of space to try things and it’s really rewarding to get to try those things with students who are up here to have a positive education experience.”

The grad students incorporate different ways of learning into their lesson plans. They explore different scientific theories and ways of working with the land. MOSS has cultivated partnerships with the Nez Perce and Shoshone-Bannock tribes to bring indigenous knowledge to the McCall campus.

Kochevar, a MOSS graduate, said watching the graduate students and middle school students learning and exploring their environment together is powerful.

“There’s a genuine and authentic piece that comes with that,” Kochevar said. “When grad students are starting out, they feel like they need to know everything and be able to explain all the concepts in depth with students. But really, we’re just asking them to learn together with the young people, ask questions and explore those questions and observations together to build a holistic understanding of this place.”

MOSS’s reach extends beyond the Ponderosa

Every student, Kovechar says, deserves to experience what happens at MOSS.

But that isn’t always possible.

MOSS is a paid experience, and financial barriers prevent many school districts from signing up. Plus, it can be difficult for teachers and students to take a week away from the classroom, even if they’re still learning.

So, MOSS leaders are working to expand opportunities and remove barriers for students who might not have the opportunity to join, especially those in low-income communities and groups who are typically underrepresented in STEM fields.

“We’re trying to be creative with ways for other teachers and schools and kiddos to participate,” Kovechar said. She said MOSS is considering a different pricing structure, as well as different outreach programs that would allow the graduate students to do site visits to schools and districts with local green spaces nearby.

“If you’re a privately funded school, then you have less constraints and more resources. If you’re in public education, you have more constraints and less resources,” she continued. “We’re finding ways to…alleviate some of those barriers and plan inclusive programs for everybody.”

With test scores dipping and stagnating across the country, concerns about student reading levels have escalated over the past decade, especially considering COVID-19 learning loss, and increased awareness about reading challenges like dyslexia.

So as education leaders began to reexamine the way schools teach reading, some landed on “the science of reading,” a body of research that digs into the way kids learn to read, and what literacy models are and aren’t getting students where they need to be.

Thursday’s forum was broadcast by Idaho Public Television. A link will be available at a later date.

That research was the focal point of Thursday’s forum, sponsored by education services nonprofit Bluum. Journalist Emily Hanford, who has spent years digging into the reading problem, spoke at the event.

A dive into how students learn to read

Hanford’s award-winning investigative podcast, Sold a Story, upended long-held beliefs.

Teachers across America have been, and still are, teaching reading based on expired research, Hanford says. And it creates a literacy gap that disproportionately harms students of color and low-income students.

Kids in elementary classrooms across the country learn “cueing,” a strategy that directs them to skip words that they don’t know when reading, and use pictures, sentence context and individual letters to try to figure out its meaning.

But students need a combination of decoding and word recognition, as well as phonics and language comprehension, in order to understand what they read. But cueing skips the process that allows a young reader to commit a word to memory — instead of sounding out words, students learn that reading is about looking at photos or contextual information outside of a word itself.

“That is not the way skilled readers read,” Hanford said. “That’s the way struggling readers read. Struggling readers use cues.”

And ultimately, that long-held practice leaves behind those struggling readers, and doesn’t give teachers the tools to help them catch up — widening an already prevalent literacy gap.

Throughout her time investigating reading, Hanford spoke with parents of struggling students. They expressed their frustrations with reading education openly, and ultimately took actions either inside or outside their district to come up with options — meaning the wealthy families ended up with solutions (like diagnostic testing, tutoring, private schooling, etc.) that lower-income families couldn’t access.

The reading problem is complex, said Hanford. Even educating every teacher in the country about the science of reading and encouraging them to implement science-based practices in the classroom wouldn’t solve it. From school funding to teacher pay to curriculum selection to state policy to teacher preparation programs, a medley of things factor into teaching kids to read.

“We don’t have a system that is making this easy on anyone,” Hanford said.

Following Hanford’s discussion, the crowd heard from two Idaho charter school leaders who have begun to implement new reading curricula and practices in their schools — the results are palpable, they said.

State superintendent Debbie Critchfield closed out the meeting, sharing her own passion for the science of reading, which formed one of the main tenets of her 2022 campaign.

Within the past few years, Idaho passed legislation regarding reading practices and dyslexia training in schools to help fill the literacy gap. Education takes up over 50% of the state budget, and reading is a top priority for Gov. Brad Little.

Critchfield said she’s excited about what the future of reading education in Idaho holds.

“There’s a momentum in our state to make significant progress,” she said. “That is very exciting to me.”

Bluum and Idaho EdNews are both funded by the J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Family Foundation.

Since 2010, Idaho has seen a 23% percent population increase — vastly higher than the national and regional averages, according to the latest data. On average, the state has grown at an annual rate of 2.5% in the last five years.

For districts like Kuna, Vallivue and West Ada, growth has meant higher enrollment in schools that are already bursting at the seams. But in districts like Boise and Coeur d’Alene, K-12 enrollment is shrinking, even as the overall population increases — that’s true for 65 districts statewide, according to data from 2019-2022.

At a Tuesday webinar, Department of Labor economist Lisa Grigg took a look at what statewide growth and population data could mean for the future of Idaho’s public schools — and the workforce.

Here’s what she found.

Growth isn’t always equal

Idaho is growing — but public school data doesn’t reflect that growth equally.

Statewide, K-12 enrollment has grown — but only by about 1.1% annually over the past five years — a little less than half of the annual population growth of 2.5% in that same time. Most of that growth has occurred in Southwest Idaho, including the Treasure Valley.

Public school enrollment and population growth at large are diverging, Grigg says. And the reasons for that mismatch are numbered.

On one hand, the vast majority of growth (just under 90%) has occurred due to in-migration — people moving into Idaho. Most of those newcomers fall in the 18-64 age range. Only 10% of the total population growth from 2019-2022 was from youth aged 0-17, said Grigg. Without in-migration, Idaho’s K-12 enrollment would have declined.

Additionally, Idaho’s birth rates have been on the decline since the late 2000s — a trend that can be seen at a national and global scale. The state has seen a -29% drop in births since 2007.

And school choice is likely a factor, although it’s hard to track.

“It can also be that we’re seeing more homeschooling and private school enrollment growth…” Grigg said. “We know that that’s something that is happening.”

K-12 enrollment outlook is unsure

It’s hard to tell where the future of K-12 enrollment in Idaho is headed, based on the data. But with an already pinched workforce, Idaho could be headed toward larger struggles if net growth slows, and birth rates continue to dip.

Department officials touted Idaho Launch, Gov. Brad Little’s incentive plan, as a tool to keep youth working and living in Idaho.

Launch will provide up to $8,000 in scholarships to Idaho high school graduates who go into “in-demand” career fields. Applications opened last week.

Overall, Grigg said growth data is worth watching.

“The demographics look like we could be headed for trouble, but we may not be,” Grigg said. “But don’t just assume…because we have stellar growth in Idaho that everything is going to grow equally.”

A longtime language arts teacher at the Vallivue School District’s Sage Valley Middle School, Martin places books on her shelves that reflect the diversity of her classroom. She chooses curricula that inspire her students to think outside the box. And she encourages kids to explore, research and think critically about the world around them. 

Her efforts have earned her statewide recognition — she’s this year’s recipient of the Human Rights Educator of the Year Award — an accolade awarded by the Wassmuth Center for Human Rights to educators who go above and beyond to ground their classrooms in justice and joy, and honor every person’s dignity. 

But as the public education arena grows increasingly polarized, and fraught with political tensions, championing human rights in the classroom has become a controversial act. Some conservatives would see Martin’s teaching philosophy — and her award — as an example of alleged indoctrination in schools. 

And with the threat of policies and laws that would censor her in the classroom, and put her at risk of private lawsuits, Martin says she’s had enough. She’s not willing to compromise her values for politics, so she’s taking an early retirement. This is her last year teaching. 

“I’m not leaving a bad place,” Martin said Thursday in an interview with EdNews. “I’m leaving a good place, but (retirement) will be a safer place. I won’t feel any pressure to bend to things I know I will not bend to.” 

Representation in the classroom is a ‘life or death’ matter, says Martin

Martin’s classroom is filled with diversity — her students come from different countries, different states and different religious backgrounds. Some speak multiple languages. Some are minorities. Some are members of the LGBTQ+ community. As their teacher, Martin knows it’s part of her responsibility to help them all feel valued — if they don’t feel safe at school, learning becomes even more challenging.

So, she focuses on representation. She wants her students to be able to see themselves in the books they read and the materials they study.

But that practice has brought challenges. From course textbooks to the Harry Potter series, Martin has heard complaints from parents who believe certain materials aren’t suitable for their children.

Martin provides free curricular materials for educators in need. Head to her website to learn more.

“Every ELA teacher has had parents push back on certain books for one reason or another and request that their child not read a particular text. They don’t always give us a reason,” Martin said. “Sometimes it’s because they feel the content is too mature for their child. Sometimes people in their religious community admonish them to avoid certain titles.”

So, Martin accommodates those requests — that, too, is a part of helping students feel included in the classroom.

“Parents have always had the right to be involved in what their child reads — it’s their child.”

But the right of one student/family shouldn’t trump the right of another student/family, Martin says. LGBTQ+ students should have access to books with LGBTQ+ characters. Latino students should have access to books with students who look and speak like them and their families. That type of representation can, Martin said, be the difference between life and death.

“I am never going to reject a child. I don’t care who it is demanding or telling me. I’m not doing it.” — Daisy Rain Martin, Idaho’s Human Rights Educator of the Year.

LGBTQ+ youth and minorities are at higher risk for developing depression, anxiety and suicide — especially in middle schoolers, who are already prone to low self-esteem and mental health challenges.

But as lawmakers attempt to place restrictions on what can and can’t be read and said in schools, Martin says educators are sitting in a difficult position.

“We have two choices as teachers: eliminate anything that might bring down the wrath of a stakeholder (which, at the end of the day, includes just about everything) and participate in the erasure of minorities and marginalized kids or…walk around flinchy all the time, waiting for the other shoe to drop,” Martin said.

For Martin, that isn’t a choice.

“I don’t work for adults, I work for kids,” Martin said. “I am never going to reject a child. I don’t care who it is demanding or telling me. I’m not doing it. I am not going to have the blood of a child on my hands. I’m not going to be part of a child’s decision to leave this planet.”

Martin also encourages her students to be inclusive of each other. At the beginning of each year, she challenges her students to a year-long research project — choose one country to research thoroughly. Dive into its government, customs, environment, and myths and legends. The big question she’s asking them: What could we achieve if we looked at the world through someone else’s eyes?

It’s not only a research project — it’s an exercise in empathy. At the end of the year, she wants them to be able to appreciate the country they researched, no matter how different it is from home.

“No matter the form of government…we want kids to know that there are beautiful children just like them and beautiful families just like theirs in every country,” Martin said.

It’s that unfailing commitment to human rights that won Martin the Wassmuth Center’s award.

Jess Westhoff, education programs manager for the Wassmuth Center, said that beyond her work, the overwhelming support for Martin made her stick out — four of her colleagues separately nominated her.

“Her nominators talked about the way that she focuses on creating experiences for her students in the classroom, making sure to connect them with diverse texts, opportunities for them to tell their stories, and explore other people’s stories,” Westhoff said. “But then also she’s such a strong advocate for her students outside of the classroom as well. That was another thing that was really impressive.”

When Martin found out about the award, she was “baffled.” Westhoff, she said, had to tell her four times before she believed it.

“I still cannot wrap my brain around this, but I can tell you that I am incredibly honored,” Martin said.

Martin seeks refuge in retirement because she’s ‘better unfettered’

At the end of this school year, Martin will retire. She’s seeking refuge from legislation and policy that could force her to compromise her values.

Because if the time came, Martin said, she wouldn’t bend to rules that would force her to eliminate books from her shelves, or censor her speech in the classroom.

“I’m better unfettered,” she explained.

During her retirement, she’ll focus full-time on children’s literature — a hobby that has been a side gig throughout her career in education. She already has one manuscript done. She’ll also focus on providing resources to teachers — curricular materials, professional development opportunities and more.

And she looks forward to working with the Wassmuth Center. After she accepted the award at the center’s gala on Saturday, Martin said she felt at home among the group who attended.

“When you’re on the side of love, compassion, mercy, justice, all of these things, it’s easy to feel like you are swimming upstream,” Martin said. “But once you get in a place where everyone loves everyone, and everyone is committed to justice and mercy — you need that. We all need that.”

Boulton was placed on administrative leave on Sept. 7 — a move that has prompted a student walkout, countless questions and concerns fired at the district, and a Thursday press conference spearheaded by students and parents.

The district says Boulton, a 23-year teacher, was suspended due to an investigation over “allegations that she undermined colleagues and academic programs, spread misinformation to students and staff, manipulated students, harassed colleagues, and preyed upon vulnerable youth for her own purposes.” The district says Boulton’s suspension is not related to any reports of inappropriate sexual relationships with students.

But parents and students say they aren’t sure — Boulton had a hand in helping students file reports with the district over harassment and assault claims, both physical and sexual. Some have accused the district of suspending the high school math teacher in retaliation.

All school district staff are mandatory reporters, meaning they’re required to report any suspicion or knowledge of sexual abuse occurring in or in relation to the school district.

But Boulton’s suspension has given rise to a larger movement highlighting current and former students in the Boise district who feel that their sexual harassment or abuse reports were mishandled. As reported by Emily White of the Idaho Press, Boulton’s suspension resulted in at least 10 people who reported assault or harassment to the district using the proper methods coming forward to the Press about their frustrations with the district processes.

District officials maintain that all Title IX complaints are investigated thoroughly — according to federal rules.

“It is clear, however, that while the processes worked in accordance with federal Title IX, the results left many feeling unsatisfied and hurt. This is where we can do better,” the district wrote in a mass email sent to patrons Thursday evening, prefacing the press conference.

Title IX is aimed at protecting all students and staff from discrimination and sexual misconduct. But the federal law has been historically fraught — there are countless examples nationwide of schools ignoring or overlooking sexual misconduct claims, or conducting thorough investigations that ultimately side with the perpetrator.

And reporting sexual misconduct is generally complicated — victims often don’t immediately recognize their abuse due to trauma, and some victims don’t report abuse for a number of reasons, including a fear of retaliation, fear that they won’t be believed, or a lack of information about how and when to report abuse. Reporting can be cumbersome, and the process often forces victims to relive their trauma.

The Boise district outlines its Title IX processes on its website — a rule all districts are required to abide by. And in the Thursday email, district leaders seemed to acknowledge the challenges of Title IX.

“We understand and recognize that the Title IX process can feel very impersonal and bureaucratic based on the steps we are required to take in accordance with Federal Title IX,” the email reads. “For those seeking help, if you are aware of any report that has been made to Boise School District staff regarding sexual harassment or sexual assault that has not been addressed, we need to hear about it. Please report this directly to the district at titleixcoordinator@boiseschools.org.”

“As always, if you are the victim of sexual harassment or sexual assault involving students or staff, whether it happened on campus or not, please report this to the district. The district has a broad array of support for you whether you wish to file a formal complaint or not. You may do this through a variety of district channels: talk to your counselor, tell a teacher, send an email to titleixcoordinator@boiseschools.org, or use our online reporting form.”

Despite district efforts, students and parents still have their concerns — and they want Boulton back in the classroom.

Timberline students are calling on their peers statewide to walk out of school on Oct. 5 to show solidarity with assault victims in the Boise district.

A full version of Boise’s statement can be found below.

Idaho’s Professional Standards Commission (PSC) — the 18-member board charged with approving, suspending and revoking teaching licenses in Idaho — took action against six people Thursday and Friday for violating the state’s code of ethics for public educators.

For violations ranging from sex abuse to contract breaches, three educators lost their teaching certificates and two received letters of reprimand.

EdNews obtained public documents related to these violations. Below are summaries of each complaint and the PSC’s disciplinary decision.

Sarai McCormick — West Bonner County School District 

Sarai McCormick was convicted in February of sexually abusing a minor under 16.

The charges came after McCormick — then a teacher at Priest River Lamanna High School — showed up at a Halloween party in October where current and former students were present. According to reporting from the Bonner County Daily Bee, McCormick had brought alcohol to the party, and was visibly intoxicated when she arrived.

McCormick, then 37, was later caught in the backseat of her car with a 15-year-old student who was also attending the party. The teacher drove away from the location with the student, assaulted them, and then dropped them off near the residence but did not return to the party.

According to the Daily Bee, the victim spent the night at the residence, and appeared upset the following morning. The victim asked other witnesses to delete any photos or evidence from the party. Rumors later swirled around the North Idaho high school, leading to a police investigation.

McCormick was sentenced to 10 years in prison for the assault.

The PSC took action Thursday to revoke McCormick’s teaching certificate — an automatic penalty for anyone found guilty of a felony child sex abuse charge.

Gwendalyn Buthman — Idaho Virtual Academy

In June 2022, Gwendalyn Buthman was convicted of felony injury to a child with infliction of great bodily injury, and misdemeanor injury to a child.

The charges came after Buthman and her husband were accused of abusing their adopted daughter.

According to a report from the Idaho Press, the Kuna couple isolated their daughter from her siblings, forced her to sleep without bedding and fed her exclusively vegetable protein powder. During trial, the victim testified that she had been malnourished, locked in a bathroom and forced to stand outside in the cold with nothing but a diaper on. In 2017, the victim, then 5 years old, went into cardiac arrest due to the abuse.

The Buthmans’ abuse occurred for three years — the victim was 3 to 6 years old.

The PSC voted to permanently revoke Buthman’s teaching certificate — an automatic penalty for anyone found guilty of felony injury to a child.

Robert Kiser — Middleton School District

Robert Kiser pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor harassment charge in an Oregon court.

The charge came after Kiser, a teacher and football coach in the Middleton district, arrived to a football camp at Eastern Oregon University under the influence of “some substance,” according to the complaint. He was slurring his words and having difficulty walking.

He put one player in a wrist lock, struck at least one student in the groin and referred to players by a number of vulgarities, including a derogatory, anti-gay slur.

The PSC voted Friday to issue Kiser a letter of reprimand. He must take an approved ethics course and boundaries course within one year.

Daniel Durham — Mountain Home School District

Daniel Durham was convicted of felony aggravated assault in November 2022.

He was originally arrested on a charge of lewd conduct with a minor under 16 for a crime that occurred between October and December of 2018.

The PSC permanently revoked Durham’s teaching certificate Thursday — an automatic penalty for anyone found guilty of felony aggravated assault.

Brent Schindler — Teton County School District

The PSC took action Thursday against Brent Schindler for lying on two teaching certificate applications and one alternative authorization application. However, Schindler fulfilled the conditions of his suspension prior to the meeting, and immediately regained his certification.

Schindler previously practiced law in Michigan and California. His license to practice in Michigan was revoked in 2006, after professional misconduct resulted in disciplinary action. In 2007, he was disbarred in California due to the incident in Michigan.

When Schindler applied for a teaching certificate in Idaho in 2018, he wrote that he had surrendered his law certificate when he closed his practice. He did not answer whether disciplinary action had ever been taken against a professional license or certificate, or whether he had surrendered a license or certificate to avoid disciplinary action.

On his 2020 teaching certificate application, Schindler marked ‘No’ to both questions. On his 2022 application for emergency authorization, Schindler marked ‘No’ again, and wrote that his previous licenses lapsed.

On all three applications, Schindler said the information he submitted was true to the best of his knowledge, and acknowledged that it is a violation of the code of ethics to submit false information on an application.

The PSC indefinitely suspended Schindler’s certificates Thursday. However, Schindler met all the conditions for reinstating his certification before the PSC met, including taking an ethics course, a course on integrity and dishonesty, and submitting to the PSC a letter explaining the disciplinary actions brought against him in Michigan and California, as well as a copy of each disciplinary order.

Because of this, Schindler’s certification was immediately reinstated following the suspension, according to the State Department of Education.

James Maloney — Caldwell School District

James Maloney resigned from the Caldwell district just seven days after signing his contract. Exiting a contract is a punishable offense according to Idaho’s code of ethics for educators.

The PSC voted Thursday to issue Maloney a letter of reprimand.

In the announcement (made on X, formerly known as Twitter), Durst said he will seek an “amicable and fair exit” and that the move is necessary to “promote healing and unity within the community.” 

“It may not be entirely fair, but life rarely is,” his letter said. 

The news comes after months of tumult in the North Idaho district, including raucous board meetings, the recall of two trustees and the state’s decision to block Durst’s path to an emergency certification to be a superintendent.

Durst did not set a departure date and said he’ll leave that decision to the board.

In early June, Durst — a former Democrat legislator and Republican candidate for state superintendent — was selected as West Bonner’s new leader, despite lacking the state-required qualifications. 

The hire sparked outrage throughout the community and drew statewide attention to the remote district. 

Patrons vocalized their concerns at school board meetings, and ultimately organized a recall election that ousted two district trustees, leaving the board at a point of uncertainty until new trustees can be appointed.

The State Board of Education blocked Durst’s attempt to seek an emergency certification for his superintendency and put the district on notice to comply with state law. 

Durst called out these challenges in his resignation notice.

“I faced a situation marked by its relentless obstacles thrown my way by those who wished to see me fail, including the Idaho State Board of Education and State Superintendent of Public Instruction,” Durst wrote. “However, despite these challenges, I persevered and with the help of great staff achieved remarkable milestones that I hope will have a positive impact on the district long into the future.”

Durst continued, saying he’s committed to facilitating a smooth transition following his resignation, and until then, will “continue to work diligently to uphold the district’s mission and support students’ success.”

Durst’s final day with West Bonner will either be decided by the three remaining trustees, who meet Wednesday for a special board meeting, or the newly elected board who takes office in January, following the November elections.

A new trade school has its sights set on filling those gaps. 

Bringing 10 new apprenticeship programs, plus a slew of accelerated training programs and corporate workshops, the Mountain Home Adult Training Academy (MHATA) is the state’s newest trade school — and the first in rural Mountain Home. The school’s leadership is collaborating with businesses, school districts and rural locales to curate MHATA to the needs of the surrounding communities. 

“The interest is there,” MHATA founder David Porter told EdNews in an Aug. 29 interview. “It’s going to give them opportunities that just don’t exist in small communities. We’re excited to watch it play out and see what we can offer.” 

MHATA offers low-cost training programs curated for adults and working learners

This isn’t Porter’s first experience with job training in rural Idaho. MHATA’s sister school, the Shelley Adult Training Academy (SATA), has provided job training for individuals in Bingham County and the surrounding region since 2010. 

MHATA mimics the mission of SATA, but the programs are curated to the local community, Porter said. In East Idaho, many students are pursuing certificates in radiological control and getting jobs with the Idaho National Laboratory. In Mountain Home, Porter expects the program demands to look a little different. 

Right now, MHATA offers nine apprenticeship programs, created in coalition with local business demands:

• Carpentry
• Electrician
• HVAC Technician
• Ironworker
• Laborer
• Millwright
• Pipefitter
• Plumbing
• Welding

A 10th program for machinists is on its way. 

The programs run from two to four years. But, according to Porter, every program can be curated to the needs of the apprentice. An advanced worker could test out of the basic skills in their apprenticeship program, and expedite the more advanced training, cutting down their program duration by a few months, or even years. 

The school also offers technical training “helper” programs for welding, mechanical systems and radiological control, as well as safety courses, and a leadership academy that offers professional development and office training for public speaking, workplace harassment prevention, business ethics, Microsoft Office Suite, time management and more. 

Most MHATA programs run in the evenings to cater to adult learners, who are often working a 9-5 schedule and have families to care for, said Porter. Courses can cost anywhere from $500 to $10,000, depending on the length of the program and level of instruction time. 

MHATA’s advisory board, made up of local business owners and industry professionals, will meet often to reevaluate community demands. 

Prospective students must have a diploma or GED, and go through an interview process to be admitted. But leadership often works with students who don’t meet the requirements, or aren’t sure about their career paths.  

“Some students are denied because they really don’t know what they want to do,” said Porter. “If they’re rejected, we try to place them in a program that’s a better fit, or get them to a place where they can thrive.”

For some programs, students need to pass a math exam with an 80% or higher to be admitted. If a student doesn’t pass, MHATA offers a low-cost to free math course to beef up their skills before they try again. 

Rural patrons call MHATA a game changer

Accessibility in education is an MHATA standard, said Porter, who has spent the past months reaching out to rural communities, including groups that are underrepresented in college classrooms and the certified workforce. 

MHATA aims to remove barriers for students by catering to their schedules, skill levels and financial situations. 

“Everyone is welcome,” Porter said. 

At an Aug. 29 meeting, Porter highlighted accessibility as he shared information about MHATA with a small group of patrons, most of whom were from the Duck Valley Reservation. 

Porter has committed to working with Duck Valley over the past few years, collaborating with the Tribal Equal Rights Organization to organize classes on the reservation. 

One attendee said her goal is to get certified as an instructor — she wants to share her decades of expertise with other tribal members, and build up their local workforce. But finding an accessible, short-term program has been a challenge in Duck Valley, which spans the remote border region of Nevada and Idaho. 

“I have all the expertise, and I want to be able to teach, but I don’t want to go back to school for four years,” she said. “I can’t sit that long.” 

But through MHATA, she’ll be able to pursue that certification at a lower cost, and shorter time commitment, even with the hour-plus commute from the reservation to Mountain Home. 

“This is a game changer.” 

Nye took no action on the motion. But the law is currently on hold. The U.S. District Court imposed a temporary block on the law on Aug. 10, after a Boise middle schooler and a Boise High School LGBTQ+ organization filed a July 7 lawsuit, saying the new state law discriminates against transgender students.

Senate Bill 1100, signed by Gov. Brad Little during the 2023 legislative session, prevents transgender students from using the school bathroom, locker room or changing facility that aligns with their gender identity. Instead, students must use facilities that align with their “biological sex,” or sex assigned at birth. If a student is unwilling or unable to use the bathroom corresponding with their sex assigned at birth, they can request that the school make accommodations for them to use a single-use restroom or alternate facility.

A private action clause in the law allows students to seek a minimum of $5,000 in damages if they encounter a transgender student in a bathroom that doesn’t align with their biological sex.

School administrators requested that lawmakers pass SB 1100 to clear up confusion about hot-button school bathroom policies, which have gained attention on local school boards over recent years. The law briefly took effect July 1.

Nye heard arguments Wednesday on a motion for preliminary injunction, another temporary action that would preserve the status quo until the courts make a final decision. The hearing was the latest movement in the suit since Aug. 10.

Peter Renn, an attorney from Lambda Legal, argued that SB 1100 violates the Equal Protection and Due Process Clauses of the 14th Amendment and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 by singling out transgender youth, and preventing them from using the bathrooms that align with their gender identity — a decision cisgender students get to make every day.

Renn said the law disrupted Idaho’s status quo, and forced some districts (like Boise) to reverse their inclusive bathroom policies, despite a lack of evidence that such policies were harmful.

Renn said 60 districts and charters had inclusive policies prior to the passage of SB 1100, and none of those policies resulted in documented instances of cisgender students pretending to be transgender, or of transgender students causing harm in the bathrooms. That lack of evidence, he said, is critical to the case.

“The government is not allowed to just rely on its own imagination,” he told the court Wednesday.

By singling students out, exposing their identities and violating their right to privacy, Renn said SB 1100 could cause serious psychological harm to transgender students, who are already at a higher risk for depression, anxiety and suicide.

Lincoln Wilson, a lawyer from Attorney General Raúl Labrador’s office, defended SB 1100.

Wilson said the law upholds the status quo: sex-separated, male and female bathrooms. He denied that the law was implemented with any malice toward transgender youth, arguing that by including an option to receive single-use restroom accommodations, lawmakers wanted to avoid causing harm to students.

Wilson went on to challenge Renn’s arguments, taking shots at testimony from Stephanie Budge, an associate professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, who founded a collaborative intended to improve research on trans, Two Spirit and nonbinary individuals. Budge submitted testimony about the importance of gender-affirming social transitions for transgender students, including the use of bathrooms that correspond with their gender identity.

Wilson called Budge an “admitted activist” for LGBTQ+ causes and said her research is “not reliable.”

Wednesday’s arguments revealed two different conceptualizations of sex and gender identity under the law. While Wilson argued that sex is “biological,” “binary” and “immutable,” Renn said the existence of transgender, nonbinary, intersex and other identities proves that it’s a spectrum.

“The government has to grapple with that reality,” he said.

After a 90-minute hearing, Nye adjourned court. He said he’ll have a decision soon, but the ruling could be delayed due to his upcoming vacation.

Here’s the latest in districts’ November election asks.

Pocatello approves bond ask for Highland restoration

Pocatello voters will see a $45 million bond measure on their ballots this November, following a vote from the school board Tuesday evening. The bond is the district’s plan to fund the restoration of Highland High School, which took significant damage from a structural fire in April.

The $45 million proposal is a 15-year bond. The expected tax burden is $37 per $100,000 in taxable value. However, according to the approved bond resolution, the district expects a property tax relief payment in excess of the annual bond payment, bringing the estimated burden down to $0.

The district’s existing levy would likely still cost local taxpayers.

The proposed bond would fund renovations and enhancements to Highland High, which lost its gymnasium, music and orchestra rooms, and cafeteria in the April fire. Highland is currently operating, but with the fire damage, the district had to instate some workarounds, including moving some classes off campus and reorganizing the front end of the school to create a makeshift cafeteria space.

The bond would cover repairs for damaged facilities, construction costs, expansions and enhancements to the gymnasium and auditorium, and additions and improvements to the gym.

District trustees voted unanimously Tuesday to float the bond measure on the Nov. 7 ballot.

Nampa, Middleton voters will see supplemental levy asks

On Aug. 30, Nampa trustees approved a $29.56 million supplemental levy for voters consideration in November. The proposal would cover a range of district costs, from salaries to technology costs to sports complexes.

The levy proposal would cost taxpayers $14.78 million per year for two years, averaging to about $72 per $100,000 in taxable value annually. It would replace and up the district’s existing levy, which is currently costs taxpayers $59 per $100,000.

If approved, the measure would cover:

• $3,300,000 in continued salaries
• $1,200,000 in supplemental salaries
• $2 million in curriculum costs
• $2 million in technology costs
• $2 million in maintenance projects
• $1.5 million for football turf
• $1 million for tennis/track
• $600,000 for activities
• $500,000 for security costs
• $350,000 for transportation
• $150,000 for early childhood education

The Middleton School District will also float a two-year, $3 million supplemental levy this November to keep up with staff, curriculum and maintenance costs. District trustees approved the levy with a unanimous vote at Monday night’s meeting.

The district last passed a supplemental levy in 2022.

The proposed levy is slated to cost district taxpayers $1.5 million per year for two years — averaging to about $38 per $100,000 in taxable value. If passed, the measure would replace the district’s current supplemental levy, which expires in June 2024, and also costs $38 per $100,000.

The levy would run from July 2024 to June 2026.

According to the district’s resolution, the $3 million ask would fund a range of district costs, from classified staff to extracurriculars. Here’s how it would be parceled out:

• $500,000 for curriculum adoption
• $386,000 for certified teachers
• $354,000 for classified staff
• $100,000 for building maintenance
• $80,000 for a school resource officer
• $45,000 for pay to participate activities
• $35,000 for transportation

And Nicholas Miller of Boise law firm Hawley Troxell, outlined the levy in a legal context for trustees Monday night.

After the 2023 Legislature nixed the March school election, one of four annual dates available for districts to float bonds and levies, Middleton decided to expedite its levy election, which it would normally hold in March. If it fails, Miller said, the district can try again in May or August, but there are concerns that the August date could be put on the chopping block as well.

“We’re doing the right thing to move this up to the November date,” Miller said.

Miller also assured trustees that the levy proposal complies with a legislative requirement to outline specific uses for the levy money, and reminded district officials that advocating for a levy is against the law — districts are limited to providing informational materials only.

The district will hold informational sessions about the levy in the coming months. More information can be viewed in Monday’s board documents.

The election will be held Nov. 7.

Boise School Board swears in new trustee

Boise trustees swore in Paul Bennion as the board’s newest trustee Monday night.

Bennion was selected from a pool of nine applicants to fill a seat left by former trustee Andy Hawes, who vacated his position in July.

Bennion is the Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Students at the College of Idaho. He has had three kids attend Boise schools — two have graduated and one currently attends Boise High School.

Bennion’s seat will be up for reelection in 2024.

Over 100 students were placed by the university at the FairBridge Inn, a local hotel within walking distance to the U of I — and the university’s temporary emergency housing solution. The U of I placed most of the overflow students in residence halls within a month, but 26 male students were moved into a fraternity house where five fraternity members were living, reported student journalists with The Argonaut in September 2022. The housing crunch disrupted the first semester of college for many students, igniting stress and frustration among those who were placed in overflow facilities.

This year, university officials vowed to get ahead of the problem.

The university struck a deal with the owners of the FairBridge Inn: A one-year land lease that gives the U of I full control of the property, costing just under $500,000 per year ($41,250 per month), according to a contract obtained by EdNews through a public records request.

The university refurbished, rebranded and renamed the hotel, and will use it to house up to 160 Vandals during the 2023-24 academic year. The lease can be extended for an additional two years.

The housing crunch isn’t going away — the university will need to build more student housing in the coming years, said John Kosh, communications director for the U of I’s auxiliary services department. But this interim fix can bridge the gap by providing more student housing at a lower cost to the university.

And so far, it’s doing its job — the U of I cleared its student housing waitlists for the  fall semester. Kosh described the plan as a “strong, viable solution.”

“This is how we’re dealing with it, and this is kind of how we’re going to have to deal with it until structures are physically built,” Kosh said. “We have enough beds for everyone, we weren’t caught off guard, and so far, it’s been going very smoothly.”

What North Campus Communities living looks like

Where a student lives during college can have an impact on their academic and social performance. Students who live on campus typically have higher retention rates, and are more likely to succeed academically and socially, Kosh said.

“Academia is really top of mind,” he continued. “We don’t want distractions. We want them to find their classes, we want to find them resources and get them settled.”

The U of I limited North Campus Communities — the new name for the hotel-turned-dorm — to returning students, transfer students and staff only. NCC will not house first-year students.

Students at the NCC will pay $2,425 per semester ($4,850 per year) to live at North Campus Communities, the same price as the university’s most affordable dorm. With the residence at full occupancy, that would bring in over $770,000 a year — enough for the university to cover its $500,000-a-year rent payment.

And the university tacked on some perks to living at the new residence hall, including continental breakfast to make up for the distance to the U of I’s cafeteria, and ensure that students are eating before class. Students also get individual, per-room bathrooms (for two students to a room), rather than communal floor bathrooms like other residence halls, and free parking passes for the NCC lot.

Plus, the building is equipped with security measures to make sure students feel safe, especially in the context of last November’s tragedy, when four U of I students were killed in an off-campus home.

And housing officials at the university are committed to ensuring students at the North Campus Communities have a positive college experience, as are student resident assistants, Kosh said. Student housing staff are involved in student government, and prepared to advocate for the students living in the North Campus Communities. And all staff worked tirelessly over the summer to refurnish the rooms and shape the old FairBridge into a Vandal-centered dorm hall.

“The housing team here didn’t go to sleep ’til they found a solution that worked for everyone,” Kosh said.

And that success was visible on move-in day, Kosh continued.

“To help a family move a student in…meet them and then whisk them off to orientation — it just felt natural. And that’s the way it should be. They were plugged into university right away.”

The housing crunch impacts other colleges across Idaho

The University of Idaho isn’t the only college that feels the pressure of the housing crunch — both Boise State University and Idaho State University have housing challenges of their own.

Heading into the new school year, both universities had bulky housing waitlists. And both universities saw high enrollment numbers this year, adding pressure to the problem. But universities are also preparing for a projected enrollment decline in coming years.

“We are trying to be responsive to the demand, we are trying to accommodate our students who want to live with us and who want to go to Boise State,” said Boise State’s Vice President for Student Affairs, Jeremiah Shinn. “We’re also being mindful of national and regional trends as we decide how much to expand our housing offerings. It’s a conversation that is ongoing.”

Students who are stuck on waitlists have to find off-campus housing, which is often more expensive and farther away from the central hub of student activities. And a lack of student housing can factor into students’ college decision.

“Whether a student gets housing as a first-year student, particularly those from outside the Treasure Valley, that factors into whether or not they choose to come here,” Shinn said. “Some do, but it’s likely that many do not.”

But Boise State is looking to the future. It’s building a new 278-bed dormitory, projected to be finished by August 2024. it also plans to sell a 47-unit building to the City of Boise around the same time. The city will use that building to house families in the city’s homeless community, reports Margaret Carmel with BoiseDev.

Boise State also has a sophomore-and-above housing partnership in the works, and administration has been exploring the idea of a new residence hall for first-year students.

“We’re looking at ways to add capacity to our housing inventory because again, the demand is there and and we believe will continue to be there,” Shinn continued.

Idaho State is also exploring its options, but with the university president retiring this December, there aren’t any concrete plans.

“I know there has been discussions about it,” said Craig Thompson, Director of University Housing at Idaho State. “There’s nothing moving right now, but I know the university is aware that the need exists.”

Both Boise State and Idaho State provide resources to help students who need to find off-campus housing. And the universities acknowledge the benefits that come from student housing.

“Things are at your fingertips,” Shinn said. “Faculty office hours, activities on campus, sporting events, they’re all right there. It just creates a more holistic experience for the students if they get a couple of years on campus.”

EdNews data analyst Randy Schrader contributed to this report. 

He’ll be sworn in at the Sept. 18 board meeting.

Su is the assistant director of operations for the Meridian Library District, and has children attending Nampa schools. He was one of six candidates interviewed by the board on Aug. 23. Both Wednesday’s meeting and the candidate interviews can be viewed on the district’s YouTube.

Several trustees said Su’s experience navigating controversial conversations and sometimes tumultuous environments in the Meridian libraries would be an asset to the board.

Between COVID-19 polices to policies on book restriction and gender identity, the Nampa board has navigated its fair share of turmoil over the past three years.

And trustee Jeff Kirkman said Su was on his list of top candidates because he can provide “healthy disagreement,” and he brings a unique perspective and has skin in the game.

After around 30 minutes of discussion Wednesday evening, trustees submitted their ballots to board clerk Krissy LaMont, who relayed that Su was the top choice for all trustees.

Trustees then unanimously voted to appoint Su to the board.

He will be sworn into office on Sept. 18. His seat expires in December 2025.

The State Tax Commission will not certify a $3.3 million plant facilities levy for a new elementary school in the Idaho Falls School District, according to a press release issued by the district Wednesday. Voters approved the levy by a 69.6% margin in May.

According to the district, the commission’s ruling boils down to one question: Can a district have two plant facilities levies on the books at the same time?

The commission is saying no.

“If two plant facilities levies are listed on a school district’s L-2 form, Idaho law requires the Tax Commission to deny one of those levies as illegal,” wrote Renee Eymann, Sr. Public Information Officer for the Tax Commission, to EdNews. And according to the commission, the Idaho Falls decision has not yet been finalized, because the district has not submitted its levy form.

Eymann provided to EdNews an opinion on the matter from Attorney General Raúl Labrador.

Here’s how the law reads: “If the question be approved, the board of trustees may make a levy, not to exceed four-tenths of one percent (.4%) of market value for assessment purposes as such valuation existed on December 31 of the previous year, in each year for which the collection was approved, sufficient to collect the dollar amount approved and may again submit the question at the expiration of the period of such levy, for the dollar amount to be collected during each year, and the number of years which the board may at that time determine.”

According to Labrador’s interpretation of the law, districts cannot float another plant facilities levy before the previous levy expires. One workaround is available, which is to expand an already existing plant facilities levy.

But Idaho Falls disagrees. The district says no statutory limit on the number of levies a district can have, only the amount a school can levy for (.4% of a district’s market value per year). The district’s two voter-approved levies fall well below that threshold. The law also requires all levies to fall under the same funding code, which Idaho Falls says it adheres to.

“The tax commission rule states districts can have only one plant fund, but it does not stipulate that school districts can only have one levy,” the district said in Wednesday’s news release. “This makes sense — the prohibition on multiple funds clearly was designed to prevent districts from going around limitations on levy amounts. D91’s legal counsel believes the law should allow school districts to have an additional plant levy to address changing needs, provided they obtain voter approval and observe levy limitations.”

In a special meeting Wednesday morning, trustees voted to take the issue to court — but the decision could still significantly delay construction of the elementary school.

If the ruling is upheld, the district may have to return to patrons with an alternative bond or levy ask, or find another funding source.

“We are extremely disappointed in the commission’s position and we strongly disagree with its interpretation of the state statues,” board Chair Hillary Radcliffe said. “We plan to file this complaint because, as board members, we feel we need to do everything we can to protect local control, and to provide students with safe, secure learning environments.”

As of now, trustees will move forward with their planning process, and prepare to fight the decision in court.

Trustees selected Bennion in an unanimous vote Tuesday evening, after a series of 30-minute interviews with four applicants.

Bennion is a product of the Boise School District, and currently serves as vice president of student affairs and Dean of Students at the College of Idaho. He has three kids — two have graduated from Boise schools, and one is a student at Boise High.

His passion for the Boise district is what led his desire to join the board, he told trustees during his interview Tuesday.

The six trustees — Dave Wagers, Maria Greeley, Beth Oppenheimer, Shiva Rajbhandari, Nancy Gregory and Elizabeth Langley — shot Bennion a series of questions about transparency, diversity, success and campaigning during his interview Tuesday.

Bennion told the board he intends to run for election in a year. He feels comfortable collaborating with board members and the different stakeholders in the Boise district, and values representation and equity in the district and on the board, he said. His goals for the board align with the mission and values of the district, and the board’s strategic plan, which outlines priorities for trustees moving forward.

After interviewing Bennion, along with fellow candidates Kenneth Howell, Jennifer Pierce and Darla Mitchell, trustees thanked the applicants for their willingness to be a part of the district. The pool is a “credit to the community” and a testament to the administration and staff at Boise schools, trustees said.

“We’re very lucky to have a great pool of candidates,” said Oppenheimer.

Each board member cast one individual vote. After the first round of ballots, Bennion emerged as the choice.

“I’m honored to serve the district and then to work collaboratively with the current board members and the superintendent’s office, and just make sure that our teachers and students are as well served as they can possibly be,” Bennion told EdNews Tuesday evening.

He will be officially sworn in at the board’s Sept. 11 meeting.

The order came just one day after a court hearing on the board’s motion to disqualify.

Labrador has until Sept. 5 to find new counsel.

On June 20, the attorney general sued the State Board, claiming the board violated open meetings law when it discussed the University of Idaho’s proposed acquisition of the University of Phoenix in closed executive session.

In response, State Board lawyer Trudy Fouser filed a motion to disqualify Labrador from the case, citing a June 20 phone call in which Labrador (accompanied by Solicitor General Theodore Wold) allegedly sought privileged information from State Board Executive Director Matt Freeman before announcing his plan to file a lawsuit.

Just hours after that phone call took place, Labrador filed the lawsuit.

In his ruling, Scott listed several reasons for disqualification — a legal move that is typically disfavored when brought on by an opponent.

The first pertains to Labrador deputy Jenifer Marcus, who was assigned to the State Board. According to court documents, Marcus advised the State Board that its executive session was appropriate, and reviewed the board’s meeting materials.

But the primary conflict of interest lies in the June 20 phone call, court documents read. The courts received two “distinctly different” explanations of the phone call — one from Freeman, and another from Wold.

According to his written testimony, Freeman spoke candidly with Labrador during the call, believing he was speaking to the attorney general in his capacity as attorney for the State Board. Freeman claims Labrador and Wold asked “probing” questions about the executive session before announcing the intent to file a complaint against the board at the end of the call.

If he knew about Labrador’s plan to sue, I wouldn’t have spoken so openly, Freeman wrote.

But Wold disputes that claim, arguing instead that Labrador announced his plan to sue at the beginning of the call.

Neither Labrador nor Marcus submitted a written account of the phone call.

The judge found Freeman’s account “more plausible.”

“He says he spoke freely,” Scott wrote in his ruling. “A person in his position would be expected to clam up in response to an announced intention to file suit.” And the chance that Labrador received privileged information during the call is “highly likely,” considering he’s the statutory attorney for the board and asked allegedly probing questions, Scott continued.

The judge partially granted the board’s motion: Labrador must find alternative representation — either outside counsel, or an in-house lawyer from Labrador’s office, as long as the attorney is not privy to information obtained during the phone call.

Friday’s ruling also disqualified Wold and Deputy Attorney General Timothy Longfield from the case.

Labrador has a Sept. 5 deadline to find new counsel.

Labrador reacts

The attorney general published a reaction to Scott’s ruling on social media Monday, accusing the State Board of seeking “special immunity” from the law.

But on the whole, Labrador touted the ruling as a success. He highlighted the fact that court only partially granted the board’s request — another attorney from Labrador’s office can represent the case, rather than exclusively outside counsel, like the board requested.

“I am very pleased with the Court’s decision because it ensures that I can do my job and represent the people of Idaho…This is an important ruling that will bring greater transparency and accountability to state government.” Labrador wrote.

“I respect the Court’s decision to act cautiously and have ordered certain attorneys in my office to be screened from participating in the Open Meetings lawsuit against the board. The rest of my office will vigorously enforce the law and defend the people’s right to transparent government.”

She didn’t know when — or if — she would ever return to Highland High.

But just four months after the devastating fire, Fleischmann entered that same classroom Wednesday for the start of a new academic year — her 29th year of teaching at Highland. That feat, she says, is “unbelievable.”

Prior to its Wednesday start, Highland received a new fire sprinkler system and other fire safety measures. The district found a solution for every displaced teacher and class, utilizing off-campus resources and getting creative with on-campus spaces.

And the district demolished the damaged school remains before students stepped foot on campus — something district spokesperson Courtney Fisher said was a priority. Though the project was slightly delayed, the district began the demolition as soon as the demolition site was returned to the district’s custody.

All of that will contribute to a safe, secure and joyous new school year, said Fleischmann.

“We know it’s not perfect,” she told EdNews just before school started Wednesday. “There’s a lot of work to do to get the little things done, but classrooms are ready. The fact that we actually get to be here this soon after a fire is absolutely unbelievable to us. It literally was a statewide and community effort to have this happen…We’re grateful, we’re thankful, and we’re trying to put the soul back into this building.”

Fleischmann wasn’t the only one excited about returning to the building — smiling students and staff flooded the halls Wednesday morning. Friends reunited after a long, uncertain summer, giddy to be returning to a familiar space. Staff donned T-shirts printed “Back and better than ever” and sent each other reassuring glances in passing. Cafeteria workers offered students breakfast as they walked in, greeting them with empathetic smiles.

“It’s exciting to be back,” said Alaina May, a Highland senior and student government officer. “We don’t know how badly we actually want to see each other until we can’t anymore. As much as we complain, the fire made a lot of us realize we actually do like being at school.”

“It’s really surreal for me,” said Zoe McEwan, Highland’s student body president. “We went from a time of panic to something so much more stable. I’m really excited for this year, I hope that it’s going to be the best one ever.”

McEwan and her student leadership team have spent all summer preparing events that will bring students together. They want to unite the Highland student body, and ensure that no one feels excluded from school activities this year.

But the morning was also tinged with a sense of tremendous loss.

Highland’s halls are still marked with reminders of the devastating fire.

As students and staff headed to the back-to-school pep rally, they skirted past the demolition site that once held the school’s gymnasium, cafeteria and band, orchestra and choir rooms. Some teachers, like Fleischmann, still haven’t visited the area because it holds too many memories.

“It has been hard,” Fleischmann said. “I grew up in the gyms here…when the last beam of the Highland gym came down, it just hurt my heart…I got my first concussion in the Highland gym, it’s been an infused part of our life.”

And students navigated their way through an unfamiliar school layout — with one hallway closed due to fire damage and no gyms or music rooms available, classes have been spread out across town. Band, orchestra and choir are held at the Calvary Chapel, just down the hill from Highland, and health classes were moved to an auxiliary building behind the school. Lockers were removed to create a cramped cafeteria space in the foyer of the school, and lunch workers now prepare food in the auxiliary building, and truck it over to the school.

And the Highland family didn’t shy away from these challenges — they hit them head on, just like Rams ought to do.

“Teachers are caffeinated, the books are on the shelves and we’re ready to start school,” yelled Principal Bradley Wallace, to loud cheers from hundreds of students standing in the football stands for Highland’s back-to-school assembly. “We’re all over this town, but that’s alright, because this is our town.” 

By the end of the assembly, chants of “you wish you went to Highland” echoed through the Pocatello valley, as the student body jumped, clapped and cheered in the bleachers, before heading back to the classroom.

Wallace emotionally expressed his gratitude to the community, faculty and staff for helping get the school back in working order Wednesday. And after COVID, Wallace said, students and staff are resilient. Although he hopes there aren’t too many challenges in Highland’s future, Wallace said he’s confident the Rams know how to roll with the punches and power through tough times.

“It feels like coming home,” Wallace told EdNews. “There’s always a special feeling going back to school, but there’s this extra special feeling being back in Highland. It’s a huge deal to us and our students, and we couldn’t have done it alone.”

District Judge Jason Scott took no action after a 45-minute hearing Thursday.

The hearing came 10 days after State Board lawyer Trudy Fouser filed four motions in the closely scrutinized case.

On June 20, Labrador sued the State Board, claiming the board violated open meetings law when it discussed the University of Idaho’s proposed acquisition of the University of Phoenix in closed executive session. In response, Fouser filed a motion to disqualify Labrador from the case on Aug. 14.

Her argument boils down to a phone call.

According to Fouser, Labrador and his solicitor general, Theo Wold, spoke with State Board Executive Director Matt Freeman on June 20. During the call, Freeman disclosed information about the May 15 board meeting, including details of what occurred in the executive session, reads the motion. Freeman believed Labrador was acting in his role as the State Board’s attorney.

But at the end of the call, Labrador told Freeman he would be suing the State Board. According to Fouser, Labrador exploited his attorney-client relationship with Freeman to obtain confidential information and use it to fuel a lawsuit.

Jenifer Marcus, Labrador’s deputy attorney general assigned to the State Board, was also on the phone call. Marcus had previously advised the board that the executive session was appropriate.

“It is my recollection that the attorney general and/or the solicitor general asked several probing questions about the state of negotiations,” said Fouser, reading from Freeman’s affidavit. “I spoke openly and freely because it was not until the end of the conversation that Ms. Marcus and I were told the attorney general was going to file a complaint. I would not have discussed this information had I known the attorney general could use it to support filing a complaint.”

That, Fouser said, should disqualify Labrador from continuing the case.

“What we are asking for is a level playing field,” Fouser told Scott. “The defendant deserves to have someone prosecuting it, who does not have the benefit of confidential information, who has not already advised them that what they did was appropriate.”

Fouser’s motion does not call for the case to be dropped — only that Labrador hire outside special counsel. That lawyer, said Fouser, should remain “walled off” from any confidential information that was revealed by Freeman during the phone call.

Labrador’s attorney, Timothy J. Longfield, argued that the attorney general’s case was not fueled by any information that resulted from the June 20 phone call. Even if it did, he said, that wouldn’t prevent Labrador from pursuing the case, since it is part of his statutory duty to ensure that state agencies are complying with the law.

The candidates — Paul Bennion, Kenneth Howell, Darla Mitchell and Jennifer Pierce — were selected by trustees in an anonymous vote during the board’s Friday afternoon work session.

• Darla Mitchell: Mitchell is a parent of three students in Boise schools, and serves as a K-2 Girl Scouts founder and troop leader in Boise. According to the resume she submitted to the board, Mitchell works as the director of strategic markets for Kyndryl, Inc. One of her top concerns in the district is equitable access to education.
• Jennifer Pierce: Pierce is a professor of geosciences at Boise State University, and has two daughters in the Boise district. Since her daughters started school, Pierce has volunteered with the district and and engaged in volunteer K-12 outreach. One of her top priorities is supporting student success in science in math.
• Kenneth Howell: Howell has served on boards for institutions throughout the state, including Idaho Public Television, the College of Idaho and the Downtown Boise Association. He attended the College of Idaho and University of Idaho and currently works as a lawyer for Hawley Troxell. If selected as a trustee, Howell would prioritize fiscal responsibility and student and teacher success.
• Paul Bennion: Bennion serves as the Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students at the College of Idaho. He graduated from Centennial High School and received a doctorate from the University of Idaho. Bennion’s priorities for the Boise district align with the board’s strategic plan.

To read the candidate applications in full, visit the district website.

Life experience, alignment with district goals and values, connections to the community and district and willingness to run a future campaign factored into the board members’ votes. Trustees Maria Greeley and Beth Oppenheimer added that they were wary of candidates with clear agendas.

Bennion, Howell, Mitchell and Pierce are scheduled to participate in interviews with trustees on August 29 between 4-6.

The board will appoint and swear in a new trustee by the September board meeting.

The 7-member parent panel (with state superintendent Debbie Critchfield sitting at its helm as the nonvoting chair) has spent the past three months delving into the details of Empowering Parents, a statewide microgrant program that allows families up to $3,000 to spend on supplemental educational materials via Odyssey, a contracted online vendor platform.

According to Idaho statute, the parent panel’s role is to recommend to the State Board what items should be eligible for purchase under the statutory ‘Other’ category. It’s also tasked with considering appeals and recommending decisions to the State Board.

These roles were clarified during Thursday’s meeting, after some committee members raised concerns about usurping state statute, or participating in a circular appeals process.

“We’re not changing state statute,” clarified Critchfield. “Everything that this panel does is 100% a recommendation. You could recommend that the money be used to send kids to Mars. You really could.”

After recommendations are submitted, State Board officials will work with lawyers and lawmakers to enact them to the extent possible, and recommendations made by the panel regarding appeals will not impact past eligibility or past purchases.

At the end of Thursday’s three-and-a-half-hour meeting, the parent panel dove into some recommendations.

• Allowing public schools to offer services to all students, public and nonpublic. Statute currently allows public schools to offer for-fee services to nonpublic students, but not public school students. During the last panel work session, Sen. Lori Den Hartog, an original co-sponsor of the legislation, told the committee that the limitation goes against the intention of the law. In response, the panel agreed Thursday to recommend that all students be able to use Empowering Parents money to access for-fee service provided by school districts, public teachers or public charters.
• Limiting Empowering Parents funds to Idaho residents. This recommendation comes in response to word that families living out-of-state, with children attending Idaho schools, could legally access Empowering Parents funds. Panelist Amy Henry suggested that funds should be limited to students who live in Idaho, and the recommendation was approved by all panelists.
• Adding an additional year. Empowering Parents currently allows families to use their funds up to two years after they are awarded. But according to Henry, some families hit that deadline with money still in their accounts, and are spending it on items that aren’t immediately necessary just to avoid wasting it. She recommended that the panel add one year onto the allotted time for a total of three years, and the motion passed unanimously.
• Clarifying rules for two-household families. Panelist Holly Cook of Boise suggested that the State Board create and publish a policy clarifying that for two-household families, the parent that holds the authority to make educational decisions for their child will receive control of how their Empowering Parents allotment is spent. The panel passed the motion unanimously, and without discussion.
• Internet reimbursements. For many families in rural and remote Idaho, the internet service options offered on the Empowering Parents platform aren’t available, said Henry, to a chorus of agreement. The panel approved her suggestion to recommend that locally provided internet services be eligible for reimbursement by the State Board, using Empowering Parents funds.
• Lenience for past mistakes. The panel agreed that families who inadvertently made an ineligible purchase should not be kicked off of the online platform, and should be allowed to make future purchases of approved goods and services.

This is not the final list of recommendations. The panel still needs to discuss the appeals process, and will continue considering recommendations at future meetings.

Odyssey representative leaves panelists with more questions than answers

Representative Meaghan Barber of New York-based Primary Class Inc. (also known as Odyssey), the contracted online platform for the Empowering Parents program, fielded questions from panelists Thursday — but she pushed most answers into the future.

Panelists asked different iterations of the same looming question Thursday: If Odyssey’s role is to screen vendors and prevent fraud by only allowing approved items to be sold, how were parents able to purchase at least $180,000 worth of ineligible items off the platform last year?

The question comes in response to an in-house State Board review of the Empowering Parents program. According to the June 30 report, less than 1% of taxpayer-funded purchases were ineligible last year. But about 6% — roughly 3,000 transactions — involve items that may or may not eventually fall under the program’s scope, like school camps and classes, uniforms or educational equipment. And an additional 8% of purchases remain under review.

Thursday’s meeting was not the first time Odyssey heard of the improper purchases.

Odyssey’s rollout of the program has been rocky from the start — according to documents obtained by Idaho Education News through a public records request, it took four months for Odyssey to send vendors a list of items that were eligible or ineligible, for state microgrants.

Since the June 30 report, the contractor has been working with the State Board to review purchases, and promised in June to pay back the misused funds to the state, along with nearly $479,000 in interest earned on the account — a breach of the state’s contract, according to the Idaho Department of Administration.

Still, Barber was unprepared for panelists’ questions Thursday.

“The platform was originally designed to be a menu of services that were pre-approved to eliminate the risk of fraud,” said Holly Cook. “Can you explain to me how it is that there are so many ineligible purchases at this point? How did that occur?”

At first, Barber’s response focused on the overall success of the program — 99% of purchases were eligible. She added that Odyssey is cooperating closely with the State Board to review a small number of ineligible purchases to “better understand the details of the purchase.”

“I don’t think that quite answers my question,” responded Cook. “I’m wondering how it’s possible to have these ineligible purchases if the platform is only designed to allow eligible purchases.”

“I will have to come back to you and get a response from our team to that,” responded Barber.

“I’m gonna give this one more shot,” said Jason Sevy later in the meeting. “How are items getting on the platform that are not approved?”

Again, Barber said that Odyssey is working closely with the State Board to review ineligible items, and that she would follow up with the panel in an email.

Panelists repeatedly asked another question: Why are vendors/items being deemed eligible at first, but later getting removed from the platform?

“We’re wondering if there have been changes mid-stream to the program?” asked Cook.

“Odyssey is extremely committed to closely working with the State Board to make sure that we are following the guidance that comes from it and implementing based on the guidance that we have,” Barber responded. “I’m not sure if that answers your question, I’d be happy to follow up in an email afterwards.”

Cook then highlighted Amazon as an example of a vendor that was approved and later removed from the platform, pushing Barber for an answer. The representative responded that she was aware of the situation with Amazon, but was not on the team when the vendor was originally approved.

“I would have to actually talk to our team internally…and come back to you with that answer.”

“Maybe you’ve answered this, but I’m going to ask one more time,” said Amy Henry later in the meeting. “And if you can do this without needing to follow up with us, I’d really appreciate it. How is it that Odyssey as a contractor is determining, both in the past and currently, eligible versus ineligible items?”

Barber responded that Odyssey bases eligibility off of a list of purchasable items. Henry asked Barber for a past and current version of that list.

“It seems that now, in real time, these eligible items are changing,” said Henry.

“We have a list, and I’d be happy to share that and talk with the team to get retroactive information for you,” responded Barber. Barber did not give a timeframe for sending Odyssey’s answers to the panel.

Jenn Thompson, Chief Planning and Policy Officer for the State Board, later clarified some aspects of the panelists’ questions.

To concerns that parents would be asked to repay money for items that were once considered eligible and later rescinded, Thompson reminded panelists of Odyssey’s agreement to foot the bill for the ineligible items.

“Boundaries around what items were allowed to be purchased may have been broader than we thought,” said Thompson. “I don’t want to throw Odyssey under the bus because I recognize that they’re doing the best they can to navigate the process.” Originally, the State Board thought Odyssey could control what items were on and off the platform, but later realized that was not the case, Thompson further explained.

She added that both the State Board and Odyssey are currently conducting a review of all items on the platform, and moving forward, they will evaluate every purchase within 48 hours. If a purchase is found ineligible, it will be reversed within that time period.

The Empowering Parents panel cut the agenda short Thursday after its two-and-a-half-hour meeting. The council will hold an interim work session before meeting again in September.

Tromp touted many accomplishments coming from Idaho’s largest university, including a record $91 million for research — part of which was a $16 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to incorporate local foods into school lunches statewide. Boise State has also received twelve $1 million research grants this year, doubled from last year, according to Tromp.

“It’s incredible,” she said. “That kind of interdisciplinary research that’s literally changing people’s lives is the type of work we’re doing at Boise State.”

Like other Idaho universities, Boise State’s enrollment is up this year. Tromp applauded efforts to increase the number of first generation students, Pell Grant recipients, Hispanic and Latino learners and students from rural and remote regions of Idaho on Boise State’s campus.

Boise State to launch campaign in October

The president also announced the university’s plan to launch a fundraising campaign in October — the largest in Boise State history, Tromp said.

The campaign will go to support student access to and success in higher education, faculty innovation and a whole-student approach to athletics.

The campaign follows what Tromp said has been a record-breaking year for philanthropy at Boise State. The university received an $8 million gift for endowed scholarships (with a promise from the university foundation to match up to $2.5 million for endowed scholarships) and $2 million for endowed faculty positions.

The Pocatello School District will float an estimated $42 million bond measure to cover renovation and enhancement costs for Highland High School, after a fire destroyed sections of the building in April.

The decision comes after a 3-2 vote at Tuesday night’s school board meeting.

Since April’s devastating fire, district leaders have been eyeing their options.

After months of collecting community input and feedback, the district narrowed their options to two: approve an estimated $42 million bond for renovation, or approve a $115 million bond to build a new high school and repurpose Highland into a middle school. Trustees considered these options Tuesday.

Trustee Deanna Judy urged the board to stamp its approval on the $115 bond measure.

Building a new school would serve the district for years to come and account for community growth, she said. And with three landowners offering to sell their land to the school district specifically for the new building, Judy said, now would be the perfect opportunity to build a brand new facility.

The land offers mentioned by Judy had not yet been discussed by the board at large, and no additional details were provided Tuesday.

Others weren’t so sure.

Opponents argued that building a new high school is not necessary based on current class sizes and growth numbers — instead, they argued, the focus should be on repairing Highland and searching for land that can be used in the future, when the schools have seen enough growth to warrant the construction of a new school.

“Of course we’d love a beautiful new school…there’s a lot of things we’d like to have,” said trustee Heather Clarke. “But I don’t think this community is going to support a bond that size.”

Judy also suggested that a new high school would attract people from around the state, boosting Pocatello’s real estate market and local economy.

“I don’t believe it’s our schools that are discouraging people from moving here,” responded Clarke, citing a weak job market as the reason for slow growth.

After a thirty-minute debate, the board voted down Judy’s motion to table the discussion until after hearing presentations from landowners about possible land options, and approved a plan to float the bond in November.

The approved bond proposal will fund renovations at Highland to restore the school to full function and expand the capacity from 1,500 students to 2,000 students. The bond would fund expansions in the school’s gymnasium and auditorium, which proponents said will improve usage not only for students, but the community at large. The bond will also fund a gym expansion at Century High School.

If approved in November, the project would likely be complete by 2026. It’s projected to cost taxpayers anywhere from $31 to $50 per $100,000 of taxable value, depending on the length of the bond.

“This is an opportunity to boost these two high schools…in a way that benefits the entire community,” Clarke said. “That, to me, is what makes the justification.”

The $42 million estimate is not yet finalized, clarified Pocatello communications officer Courtney Fisher Thursday.

“The district is in the process of finalizing the scope of the project, and working with bond counsel to prepare the ballot language, which will be released to the public no later than September 18.”

Green, the U of I’s 19th president, spoke confidently about the school’s future even amidst projected enrollment and funding challenges.

And part of that confidence comes from the university’s decision to acquire the University of Phoenix.

Phoenix purchase will broaden opportunities, Green says

The University of Phoenix acquisition has been scrutinized statewide — but that isn’t shaking Green’s confidence.

Nontraditional higher education is gaining momentum, Green says, posing a threat to institutions that bank on traditional enrollment. As universities launch into the future, they must seek out methods to better serve the adult and nontraditional learning communities. And that’s where the University of Phoenix comes into play, Green told a large crowd Tuesday.

“The University of Phoenix holds significant value as an institution of higher education by providing accessible and flexible learning opportunities to a diverse range of students,” the president said. “Through its online programs, the university caters to working adults, whose average age is 38, and nontraditional learners who face constraints in pursuing a traditional education.”

“University of Idaho and our Board of Regents remain committed to closing this transaction, as the benefits for our university and the state of Idaho are more compelling than ever,” he continued.

Green characterized the multimillion dollar purchase as a “good financial decision” for the U of I. He denied that the U of I would be liable for expenses related to the Federal Trade Commission’s dealings with Phoenix.

Other expanded education opportunities

Beyond the Phoenix purchase, Green touted other expanded education opportunities with the U of I during Tuesday’s speech.

The university has partnered with the College of Western Idaho to launch the JumpStart program, an initiative that will allow Treasure Valley learners to kickstart their education and ease the transfer process between Idaho colleges and universities.

High schoolers, first-year college students or transfer students can begin taking general education courses through JumpStart at the U of I’s Boise campus this fall. The courses are designed to accommodate work schedules to provide easier access to education for Idaho’s young, working population.

“(JumpStart) aligns with our land grant mission of providing practical, accessible educational opportunities for all of Idaho,” Green said.

The U of I will also continue supporting innovative student and faculty research, as well as education opportunities for Idaho’s imprisoned populations.

Friday marked the deadline for applications. The board will spend the next weeks vetting the applicants, hoping to select Hawes’ replacement in September.

For more information on the nine applicants, view their full applications on the district website.

Here’s who applied:

• Darla Mitchell: Mitchell is a parent of three students in Boise schools, and serves as a K-2 Girl Scouts founder and troop leader in Boise. According to the resume submitted to the board, Mitchell works as the director of strategic markets for Kyndryl, Inc. One of her top concerns in the district is equitable access to education.
• Dennis Boatman: Raised in Caldwell and now located in Boise, Boatman is a former Idaho and Washington educator and administrator; he retired in 2019 after a 43-year career. Boatman attended Idaho schools, and two of his three sons are current Idaho educators. One of his top priorities for the district is fiscal responsibility.
• Jennifer Pierce: Pierce is a current professor of geosciences at Boise State University, and has two daughters in the Boise district. Since her daughters started school, Pierce has volunteered with the district and and engaged in volunteer K-12 outreach. One of her top priorities is supporting student success in science in math.
• Kelly Grange: Grange recently retired as a CPA and CFO for Hawkins Companies in Boise, and her kids attended school in Boise before pursuing careers in medicine, teaching and business. Her top issues include school bathroom policies and education savings accounts.
• Kenneth Howell: Howell has served on boards for institutions throughout the state, including Idaho Public Television, the College of Idaho and the Downtown Boise Association. He attended the College of Idaho and University of Idaho and currently works as a lawyer for Hawley Troxell. If selected as a trustee, Howell would prioritize fiscal responsibility and student and teacher success.
• Krista Hasler: Hasler has a 12-year career in social work, and has four children attending Boise schools. Hasler ran for a seat on the board last August, but lost to Dave Wagers and Beth Oppenheimer. One of her top concerns is mental health care and education in the district.
• Michael Sharp: Sharp is the director of media relations at Boise State University. He has one child in the district, with another joining in 2024. Sharp’s foremost concern in the district is communication with parents, teachers and patrons.
• Paul Bennion: Bennion serves as the Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students at the College of Idaho. He graduated from Centennial High School and received a doctorate from the University of Idaho. Bennion’s priorities for the Boise district align with the board’s strategic plan.
• Sherry Nevers: Nevers has several children attending Boise schools, and has engaged in district outreach and advocacy in the past, including spearheading an effort to reinstate half-day kindergarten for the 2022-23 school year. Nevers’ top priority for the district is improving feedback and communications with patrons.

Wagers outlines selection process

Board president Dave Wagers outlined the trustee selection process at Monday night’s school board meeting.

The board will hold a work meeting on Aug. 18 to discuss and narrow the applicant pool to three or four candidates, Wagers said. The board will later hold interviews with those candidates, and swear in the selected trustee by September 11.

Wagers expressed excitement at the prospect of choosing a new trustee.

“We’ve got nine really good people.”

More from the school board

Shiva Rajbhandari joined Monday’s meeting virtually — a practice that will likely become regular for the teenage trustee.

Though he attended Monday from Illinois, the incoming freshman in college will soon be joining meetings virtually from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

He plans on maintaining his spot on the board since his legal residency is not changing.

Kicking off Monday’s speech, Satterlee touted some of the university’s accomplishments: four semesters of enrollment growth, widespread campus revitalization efforts, new technology and innovation in the classroom, and a positive campus culture.

But with less than four months before he retires, Satterlee highlighted some long-term goals for the Pocatello-based college.

Campus sustainability

At last year’s fall address, Satterlee announced his plan to start ISU down the path to carbon neutrality. During Monday’s speech, the president said the plan is underway, but will need a long-term commitment.

“We’ve made progress,” Saterlee told a large crowd Monday morning. “A commitment to permanently change the way we do things takes time, takes planning, takes commitment.”

ISU is still in the “initial planning stages” of the sustainability plan, Satterlee said.

So far, the university has implemented STARS, an industry standard framework for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance. STARS will yield data for the university to build its larger sustainability plans off of. The university is also searching for a sustainability director, and is working with Idaho Power to assess energy consumption and develop a solar power plan.

“We believe small changes done well over time yield results,” Satterlee told the crowd Monday. “We are moving in the right direction, even if it’s not as fast as some would like.”

Budget deficit

Satterlee announced the university’s projected $16 million budget deficit — caused in part by waning enrollment, state budget cuts and plummeting revenue from the coronavirus pandemic — in Spring 2020. Since then, university leadership has been working to eliminate the deficit.

Satterlee announced Monday that the team is on its way to an “open, transparent and strategic” budget to support the university down the road.

“We’re better equipped now than we’ve ever been to address the budget deficit,” said Satterlee.

He assured the crowd that there’s no need for concern. But, the university will be taking “reasonable action” to fill budget needs — starting with a hiring freeze for the new fiscal year.

The pause will allow leadership to examine vacant roles for their strategic value before rehiring. The university will reduce its immediate salary spend, and only rehire positions that fit within the school’s long-term goals.

“By doing the hiring pause in a strategic way,” Satterlee said, “we avoid the thing everybody is worried about — we avoid layoffs, we avoid furloughs and those types of budget-cutting measures.”

Retirement

Satterlee, 55, addressed his own retirement plans during Monday’s speech.

The 13th university president announced his retirement in June, after five years at ISU. He will depart Dec. 31.

Satterlee reflected on his career — he was the youngest graduate in his law class, the youngest person to be named chief legal officer to the State Board of Education and was the youngest to be named as general counsel at Boise State University.

“I think I’ve been too young for every job I’ve ever had,” he said, laughing. “To me, it makes sense when people think I’m too young to retire now, too. The answer is: But I’m gonna.”

Satterlee expressed gratitude to the ISU family for allowing him to serve Idaho students. But his 30-year career in high-stress, high-demand jobs has taken a toll, he said. “I am ready to move forward with the next phase of life.”

He’ll use his retirement to travel and spend more time with family, including his newborn grandchild.

Peachey donned blue and orange to watch Boise State University sports games on weekends. He admired Boise State athletes, and witnessed the sense of life and community that the university brought to his hometown. He pictured himself at the university after high school, getting the quintessential college experience in his own backyard.

But as a person with autism, Peachey wasn’t sure what his higher education journey would look like — that was, until he found PEERS (Providing Exceptional Education and Raising Standards), a two-year program at Boise State designed to give students with intellectual and developmental disabilities a typical college experience, while building up their confidence and preparing them for the workforce.

The intention of the program is to open the door to higher education for students with developmental and intellectual disabilities, who might not be able to access college otherwise.

So far, PEERS has done just that.

The PEERS program is still in its infancy.

Associate Professor Jeremy Ford first brought the idea to Boise State in his job interview in 2014, and the university’s dean was interested — but it wasn’t until 2020 that the program really kicked off, opening up opportunities for students who are typically underrepresented at the college level.

“Our students with intellectual and developmental disabilities see college as a normal pathway for so many people,” said Ford, now the program’s director. “They see their friends going and they see their siblings going. Having that opportunity available for them is something that is important.”

“College isn’t for everyone,” Ford continued. “But access to college is something that should be available for anyone who’s interested, and wants to do the work.”

PEERS’ first class of four graduates — Ian Peachey, Ryan McKay, Carter Anderson and Spencer Wheat — can attest to that.

Like Peachey, McKay had always planned on going to college. But finding the right program was difficult.

While college pathways for students with developmental disabilities have become more common in recent years, only about 323 schools in the U.S. have a program — that’s about 7% of colleges and universities nationwide, according to Think College, a directory under the Institute for Community Inclusion at the University of Massachusetts Boston.

McKay’s family had considered programs at Washington State University, the University of Idaho and Idaho State University. But the distance (combined with the pandemic interrupting their plans to tour the schools) concerned the Sand Hollow-based family. When Tara McKay, Ryan’s mother, heard about PEERS, it peaked her interest.

“It was a program and it was local,” she said. “We knew we wanted to continue his education, this was the next step.”

Through the PEERS program, Peachey, McKay and their classmates got the chance to explore their academic interests, and expand their social circles at Idaho’s largest university.

The PEERS program application can be found on Boise State’s website. PEERS asks that applicants name their disability, have some type of work experience (either paid or volunteer), write an essay about why they’re interested in attending Boise State and submit letters of recommendation.

They attended a series of required classes, but also took elective courses, either audited or for credit.

“(Ian) was going to class, he was hanging out with neurotypical students and he had homework assignments, but they didn’t affect his grade,” said Brad Peachey, Ian’s father. “There were times where there’d be a huge assignment, and he would work as hard as he could— that’s all we want. We just wanted him to try it, and to experience what it was like, without it being detrimental to his academic performance or hindering other students in the class.”

But the social component is just as important as the academic side of PEERS, Peachey continued.

“(Ian) grew up here and he’s always been a huge fan of Boise State,” he said. “He’s always wanted to be part of that, and that was the thing that we liked the most…he would go to school, get to know his way around campus and eat in the SUB building. He experienced as much of the college experience as he could.”

Peachey and McKay worked at the Rec Center, made friends across campus and closely followed Boise State athletics — Peachey showed at nearly every softball, football and basketball game his first year at the college; McKay went to a few games, and was thrilled to be in a kinesiology class with a football player.

But the students didn’t get to live on campus — something both families said was a drawback, and an issue that many students at Boise State and other Idaho universities are facing. For McKay’s family, the daily drive from Sand Hollow to Boise was taxing, and sometimes caused him to miss out on social opportunities.

“I think they miss a lot by not living on campus,” said Tara McKay.

The housing issue, along with a lack of faculty awareness about inclusive classroom practices, are barriers PEERS leaders are constantly working on.

The PEERS program also focuses on career readiness.

“Individuals who participate in inclusive postsecondary education programs are much more likely to find employment after school,” said Ford. “Our students graduate from the PEERS program and they are alumni of the university, they have access to…career services for help with developing resumes and job applications, and things of that nature…We’ve also been recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a comprehensive transition program.”

In May, Peachey, McKay, Anderson and Wheat graduated with two-year certificates in Community and Career Readiness Studies — an undergraduate certificate approved by the university and the State Board of Education — and officially became Boise State alumni. Boise State president Marlene Tromp honored the PEERS program graduates at commencement.

“Congratulations to all of you on a job well done,” Tromp said. “And thank you for your contributions to fostering a thriving community here on campus, and beyond.”

Since graduating, Peachey and McKay say they’re more confident and are ready to tackle the workforce, thanks to PEERS. Both students are currently looking for work.

Joined by Sen. Lori Den Hartog, an original sponsor of the Empowering Parents legislation, the parental committee identified a few mismatches between the original intent of the legislation and the current implementation of the program during Tuesday’s meeting.

Den Hartog, R-Meridian, gave the group a synopsis of the original intent behind Empowering Parents: to support families during COVID as they adapted to unprecedented education plans.

Empowering Parents started as Strong Families, Strong Students — a separate program that utilized federal emergency relief money to cover families’ out-of-pocket costs for technology, books and other education materials during the pandemic.

In 2022, the program was renamed Empowering Parents, given an updated model, and the intent shifted toward combatting COVID learning loss, supporting at-risk students and bolstering education customization around the state. Under the current program, families can receive up to $3,000 for extraneous education costs.

But the program’s launch has been rocky. According to a June 30 State Board review, around 1% of Empowering Parents purchases were ineligible, and another 6% of purchases fall into a gray area — they may or may not be eligible, and it’s part of the parent advisory group’s role to determine those parameters.

Den Hartog addressed that gray area Tuesday.

“We had envisioned…something that was really flexible. Maybe what has caused you some frustration, and maybe has caused the State Board and our vendor some frustration as well, is the open-endedness of some of those categories,” said the senator. “But the reason for that was, we didn’t know all of the ways that parents might want to use the funds to help their students…We didn’t know all of the needs and all of the creative ways…that people might try to access educational opportunities for their kids.”

The senator also addressed public schools’ role in Empowering Parents.

According to Idaho Code, said State Board Director Matt Freeman, only nonpublic school students can access services from public schools through Empowering Parents. This has limited what services public schools can offer through the online vendor, and who can access them.

“The statute has really bound us,” the State Board’s Empowering Parents coordinator Heather Zeitlin told Den Hartog and panel members.

And that runs contrary to what Den Hartog wants.

“We really envisioned individual teachers being able to be service providers on the platform,” she said. “If they were going to provide tutoring outside the school day for some extra money, and/or for students that they knew needed or wanted some additional support. We picture school districts being vendors on the platform, so if there…were extra items…school fees or uniform fees…The statute itself, obviously, is set in place, but we envision being able to come back to it in a future legislative session and tailoring and giving some more parameters around that.”

Den Hartog went on to address questions about eligible expenses and the intent of the law from panel members.

Amy Henry, a panel member from Nampa, asked whether fees at her kids’ homeschool co-op could be eligible for an Empowering Parents grant. Den Hartog’s answer: yes — if the school registers and is approved as a vendor on the Odyssey website.

“The scenario you’re describing is exactly something we would envision those funds could be spent for,” said Den Hartog. “That’s…one of the beauties in the design of both the original Strong Families, Strong Students and Empowering Parents…it doesn’t matter where the student is or where they’re accessing their education, they have access to these funds.”

In a similar vein, state superintendent Debbie Critchfield (the panel’s nonvoting chairwoman) asked about private school tuition and fees — a hot-button issue that yielded several attempts at legislation during the recent session, none of which were successful.

Den Hartog confirmed Tuesday that private school tuition is not an allowable expense under current Empowering Parents legislation, but non-tuition fees and other costs are eligible if the private school, or a private school teacher, were an approved vendor on the platform. But the senator would like to eventually see tuition approved as an eligible expense as well.

“That was one of the negotiations, and frankly one of the concessions, that Representative Horman and I made,” she said. “Would we like to see tuition as an allowable expense in the future, personally, as the two legislators championing it? Yes. Do we recognize that $1,500 doesn’t pay a full tuition anywhere? Yes… Politically, I’m interested in that, but…I don’t know that that’s something that can get through the Legislature. So, there are all things we want, but we still have to get through a process.”

In March, Horman and Den Hartog introduced a plan before lawmakers to add an avenue for private tuition under Empowering Parents, but the bill was held in committee.

Closing out Tuesday’s meeting, Critchfield questioned the parent panel about tuition, but didn’t receive a clear answer. Panelists did mention in-state classes and camps, homeschool co-op fees, private and public school fees, and transportation as expenses to consider for future eligibility.

The panel also briefly touched on the Empowering Parents appeals process, which they’ll continue discussing at its Aug. 17 meeting in Rexburg. The committee also plans to field further questions to the online platform vendor, Odyssey, and discuss draft panel recommendations at the next meeting.

State superintendent Debbie Critchfield wants to rewrite Idaho’s K-12 funding formula — an antiquated piece of state policy that dictates how much money schools receive and what it can be spent on. But with less than a month to go before her Sept. 1 deadline, the superintendent — and her hand-picked committee of lawmakers and education leaders — are making slow progress.

The committee met for the second time Friday; its first meeting took place on July 20. Now, the committee isn’t expected to reconvene until Aug. 31.

No one denied that the current funding formula needs a rewrite. In fact, complaints about the formula were abundant during Friday morning’s meeting at the Statehouse.

Educators voiced concerns that the switch back to an attendance-based funding model (as opposed to the enrollment-based funding model used during the pandemic) could impose significant hurdles next school year. Lawmakers worried that the current formula doesn’t fulfill their constitutional obligation to provide a uniform education to all Idaho students, when quality of education and access to programming can vary from district to district. Many leaders said the current formula is too rigid — it ties up money and forces districts to work around state law in order to innovate and match the needs of their communities.

And since the formula has gone nearly 30 years without a rewrite, committee members agreed that the current policy is outdated, complicated and misaligned.

“We have a three-bedroom house with 19 bathrooms,” said Sen. Lori Den Hartog, R-Meridian, who co-chairs the committee alongside Critchfield and Rep. Wendy Horman, R-Idaho Falls. “We just keep adding on and it doesn’t make sense anymore.” 

But after three hours of poking holes in the formula and deconstructing the education system, the committee didn’t latch onto any detailed solutions to Idaho’s K-12 funding problems.

Some overarching ideas emerge

The committee agreed on some components that a rewritten formula should have.

Senate Pro Tem Chuck Winder, R-Boise, who worked on a previous effort to rework the policy, suggested weighting the new formula to better serve at-risk populations.

A couple of school district business managers told Critchfield that line items should be carefully and intentionally balanced with discretionary funding to help free up money, while also providing guidance and direction on other expenditures.

But the conversation largely focused on a formula that allows for greater flexibility and customization.

After the pandemic, attitudes toward attendance have changed, and it could result in funding complications for schools, said Blackfoot Superintendent Brian Kress.

Families are expecting more lenience from their school districts, said Kress. They want workbooks and assignments in advance of long vacations. Students are joining apprenticeships or workforce training programs that take them out of the classroom setting, and some students are splitting their time between online charters and brick-and-mortar schools, or even between districts.

Under a model based on seat time, these attitudes toward attendance could cause schools to lose out on money, said Kress. He urged the committee to develop solutions better aligned to a post-pandemic world, like broadening the definition of attendance or basing funding off of another factor entirely.

Sen. Dave Lent agreed.

“We’re moving to a model where the standard is the outcome, and the variable is time,” said Lent, R-Idaho Falls. “As you measure outcomes, we’re about learning, not seat time. … Parents want learning, not seat time.”

The committee juggled with a proposed definition of attendance, provided by an attorney from the Legislative Services Office, and offered several other solutions, including redefining attendance, changing seat time requirements or determining a new factor to base funding on. But ultimately, the committee did not settle on a path forward.

As Friday’s meeting wrapped up, Critchfield urged committee members to develop their own ideas and send them her way before the next meeting. That Aug. 31 meeting comes just one day before the superintendent’s budget request is due to Gov. Brad Little.

Officials from the governor’s office, the State Board of Education and the Workforce Development Council presented information about Idaho Launch to school leaders Thursday at the annual Idaho Association of School Administrators conference, shedding some light on the new scholarship program passed during the 2023 legislative session.

During Thursday’s meeting, administrators had plenty of questions about how in-demand careers will be defined, and how the scholarship money will be used.

Idaho Launch will provide $80 million in annual scholarships for Idaho graduates who plan to enter in-demand careers. Any Idaho graduate can receive a scholarship covering 80% of their college tuition costs, up to $8,000. The scholarships can be used at any Idaho college or workforce training program, including 4-year universities, 2-year community colleges, career technical education schools and other public or private programs.

An in-demand career — a phrase written in statute that has caused confusion for some educators — will be officially defined by the Workforce Development Council in September. According to Matt Reiber, policy advisor for the governor, in-demand careers will be measured based on projected job growth rate and annual job openings. A field with a projected growth rate in the double digits, and at least 100 annual job openings will likely qualify as an in-demand career.

“There aren’t enormous shifts in what’s in demand,” a state official told school leaders during Thursday’s presentation. “It ends up being the top 215 by number of job openings. So, it’s a lot of careers.”

Any Idaho graduate is eligible to apply for an Idaho Launch scholarship if they’ve completed a career pathway plan — either through Next Steps Idaho, a senior project or another state-approved method. There is no GPA requirement, and students are not required to file a FAFSA form to receive an Idaho Launch scholarship.

But filing a FAFSA is still recommended — if the state receives more applications than there is available funding, scholarships could be issued based on financial need. Plus, Launch scholarships can be combined with Pell Grants, Opportunity Scholarships and other need-based awards to pay for the 20% of tuition and fees that Launch doesn’t cover, along with other higher ed costs.

Students will have three years to use their Launch scholarship. The Workforce Development Council is still workshopping a policy for students who want to use a Launch scholarship, but plan on enlisting in the military, serving a religious mission, volunteering or have another extenuating circumstance that prevents them from attending college right away.

All Idaho Launch transactions will be completed directly between the state and the higher education institution to ensure the money is going to approved institutions, majors and certifications.

Idaho Launch applications will open October 3, and scholarships will be issued in June. School counselors and administrators will receive additional guidance in the coming months.

School administrators gathered in Boise Wednesday for the annual IASA conference — a two-day event held to strengthen relationships and facilitate conversations and learning opportunities between school leaders as they head back to school in August.

Wednesday’s agenda included workshops on wellbeing and mental health in schools, innovative education models, and using and reporting data.

Day one brought lessons for many administrators — and homework they’ll take into the 2023-24 school year and beyond.

Here’s what some had to say:

Shawn Tiegs, Moscow School District Superintendent

“The most important thing is conversations with…all the other superintendents around. As a superintendent, it really is like an island sometimes. This…it’s a Mecca of connection. There are good people that are working on really hard things, but together…lots of good smiles, lots of good handshakes and lots of good conversation.”

Ryon Pope, Gooding High School Vice Principal 

“There are things that we need to do to help support students. There’ve been difficulties bouncing back from the COVID pandemic, high isolation and depression rates, there’s a lot of good information.”

Jim Foudy, Blaine County School District Superintendent

“We’re all still learning how to navigate the social emotional health of our students. Because if they’re not healthy, we’re not going to be able to reach them and teach them. And we know from the U.S. Secret Service report…that 90 to 95% of all acts of violence in school could have been prevented had somebody said something. So…when it comes to school safety, we need to emphasize prevention. Reach the kids, provide the support, do the risk assessments whenever you need to, do the threat assessments whenever you need to, document those really well, connect the family with resources — make sure that we don’t have another incident in the state of Idaho.

Angie Brulotte, Jerome School District, Jefferson Elementary Principal

“This is a really great conference…people get some new learning and new ideas, but the more important and larger thing is the networking that’s happening. You can check in with friends and people you haven’t seen in a while, ask ‘What are you guys doing, how are you handling this, have you picked up any new interventions?’ The networking is one of the most important things about this conference…You’ve gotta learn from each other. Getting us all in the same boat, people who have your similar concerns and hurdles to overcome, it’s fun to hear what they’re doing.”

Leigh Patterson, Gooding High School Principal

“Mental health is a big issue for students and staff. We’re trying to learn new ways to cope and alleviate some of those roadblocks to help students and staff be successful.”

Teacher: Camilla Boylan, Mountain View High School

Career: Boylan has taught at Mountain View High School for 15 years. She began her career as an English teacher and speech and debate coach, and transitioned to teach her true passion — theater — five years ago. Her motto, “dream sideways,” encourages her students to embrace differences, pursue their passions and navigate life with compassion.

Inspiration: Last year (her 15th year of teaching), Boylan was nominated by students for the prestigious Velma V. Morrison Performing Arts Educator of the Year Award for her impactful and inclusive teaching. She was awarded the accolade in June, alongside two other awards: her building’s Teacher of the Year Award and the West Ada School District’s Teacher of the Year Award.

From the moment recent graduate Ethan Hodson stepped foot in his first theater class at Mountain View High School, he knew educator Camilla Boylan was more than a run-of-the-mill teacher — she was in the business of transforming lives.

Hodson landed in the theater department halfway through his junior year. At that time, he was a shy, nervous teenager, and he was apprehensive about taking to the stage.

But by the end of his senior year, after a year-and-a-half as Boylan’s student, Hodson had blossomed into a confident young adult — one who could sing and sustain a 14-second note on stage as a supporting character in the school musical. And Hodson credits Boylan with his newfound assurance and preparation for life’s challenges.

“The impact she’s had on my life is immense,” Hodson said. “She exemplifies that idea of becoming more than just a teacher and going beyond just doing the curriculum in the classroom. She’s one of those teachers that you have in these formative years of life that helps you realize the person that you can become.”

Boylan built her program on the belief that “theater is for everyone.” She uses the stage to show all students that they are loved and accepted, while also pushing them to new horizons and lifting them into the limelight. She prepares students for life on — and off — the stage by teaching compassion, discipline and empathy.

And in 2020, Boylan took her teaching philosophy to the next level.

She created a unified theater class for students with special needs — a community that is typically underrepresented in high school theater productions and classrooms. In the class, students with disabilities can work with mentors to develop their skills and stage presence, and build their own dreams.

“That class has been the most rewarding class of my entire career,” Boylan said. “I have kids who would never be on the stage at any other time, who played little small roles and feel like they are the stars. They will do little shows for their parents and it’s the most fulfilling, incredible experience to be able to give them that.”

After three years, the significance of the class has only grown more apparent.

“It’s important as a teacher to make sure that we’re reaching everybody, not just the ones who fit the mold of what we think it should be, what society says it should be,” Boylan said. “That’s my legacy.”

And the impact of Boylan’s teaching has paid off.

This year, Boylan was awarded her building’s Teacher of the Year Award and the West Ada School District’s Teacher of the Year Award.

But the highest honor came as a result of her students, who nominated her for Idaho’s top award for theater educators: the Velma V. Morrison Performing Arts Educator of the Year Award. In their nomination, the students highlighted her “commitment and deep passion for her craft.”

Boylan won the award and was celebrated at the Morrison Center in June.

“Ms. Boylan has created transformative opportunities for her students through her innovative teaching methods and dedication to inclusivity,” reads a Morrison Center press release on the award. “Believing in the power of the performing arts to develop essential life skills, Ms. Boylan instills in her students the values of openness, support, and kindness toward one another…Through her holistic approach to teaching, Ms. Boylan prepares her students not only for their work on stage but also for the journey that lies ahead.”

“It’s very humbling,” Boylan said of earning the accolade. “It’s one thing for your peers to recognize you, but when your students go out of their way to recognize you, and then make sure others know of the impact you have made, it makes you want to be a better teacher.”

If you went to school in Idaho and have a teacher you’d like us to recognize, whether still in the classroom or retired, contact editor Jennifer Swindell, jswindell@IdahoEdNews.org. We’re looking forward to sharing your stories.

Like other resort towns across the country — including Idaho’s own Sun Valley and Coeur d’Alene — McCall is plagued with high housing costs and a lack of housing availability. Just a quarter of available housing in McCall is lived in by locals — the vast majority of homes are vacation rentals or seasonal cabins, according to a 2022 housing action plan created by the city.

And that struggle is coupled with a lack of affordable childcare — an issue that impacts most of rural and remote Idaho. Some McCall workers are quitting their jobs or using paid vacation time and sick days to stay home and care for their own and other’s kids.

For the McCall-Donnelly School District, housing and childcare needs have burgeoned into significant barriers to recruiting and retaining a quality workforce, said district superintendent Eric Pingrey. Applicants have declined job offers because they can’t find housing and current teachers are concerned about returning to the classroom without a secure and affordable childcare option.

Last year, the Blaine County School District, located in popular Idaho resort town Sun Valley, implemented its own employee housing plan after facing similar retention and recruitment struggles caused by inflated housing costs.

So, the district is taking solutions into its own hands — by building new affordable housing units for staff and opening a fully operational daycare center in the district office.

Pingrey says the plan is part of the district’s role as the “heart of the community.”

“We have to take care of not only our staff, but the town as a whole,” Pingrey said. “Crisis is crisis.”

Early childcare center to open in August

The lack of childcare in McCall is so severe, a group of teachers and staff banded together to create a solution: rotating their own vacation and sick leave days to stay home with a group of kids. They sacrificed their own benefits because they had nowhere else to turn.

But the childcare issue extends far beyond the school district.

Staff from hospitals and other local organizations showed up in droves to community meetings to voice their own childcare struggles. And at least 60 people responded to a district survey with desperate childcare needs, including 13 school staffers and seven St. Luke’s staffers. By May, the district had 80 people interested in a childcare plan.

“It was heartbreaking listening to a lot of these young moms’ stories,” said Pingrey, following one district meeting. “We needed a solution.”

So, he worked with community members to develop one. Through donations and workforce readiness grants, the district raised $500,000 to start a daycare and preschool that will begin operating in August from inside the newly purchased 10,000-square-foot district office.

To start, the center will accept around 12 infants, 16 toddlers and 25 three- to five-year-olds, depending on staffing. The district will charge the going rate for care, around $200-$250/week. And there’s already a waitlist — right now, 80 kids are registered.

McCall-Donnelly is hiring paraprofessionals for the daycare. Wages start at $17.32 with benefits. Learn more at the district’s website.

Beyond filling a childcare need, the daycare will also be a resource for McCall-Donnelly’s students — those in the early childhood education CTE program can gain experience and earn credit by putting in hours at the facility.

Phase one of housing plan to be completed by next fall

This summer, the school district broke ground on its first housing complex — an eight-unit building with one- and two-bedroom apartments. The building is the first in a 35-unit housing plan, which will also include some three-bedroom, cottage-style homes.

The housing will go to current and prospective school district employees who can’t find stable housing, said Pingrey. The first building will be complete before the 2024-25 school year to help with next year’s recruitment efforts.

“Everything is moving smoothly,” the superintendent confirmed.

The district’s initiative aligns with a 2022 City of McCall plan to provide housing for locals earning up to 100% of the area median income (about $60,000). The plan is to produce housing at an “aggressive, but achievable” rate (an average of 50 units per year), and to increase the local occupancy rate from 27% to 40%.

Building housing is more sustainable for the district compared to other recruiting and retention solutions, like boosting staff salaries, according to Pingrey. Offering housing fills a need and also brings in extra cash.

So far, McCall-Donnelly’s housing plan comes at no extra cost to taxpayers. The district pulled reserve funds and auctioned land to raise $5 million for phase one, avoiding a bond or supplemental levy proposal.

The district hasn’t yet created an application and acceptance process for the housing, but qualified applicants will need to demonstrate need — something Pingrey says isn’t hard for many employees to do.

“I can’t even afford a house here,” he said. “I’ve got one more year on my lease and I’m not sure what I’ll do after that.”

The ICRS program was approved by the Legislature earlier this year, and signed into law by Gov. Brad Little on March 31, after the state superintendent brought forward the idea. Supporting CTE is one of Critchfield’s top priorities for her time in office.

“This program allows schools to tailor their Career Technical Education offerings to the unique needs of their communities,” Critchfield said in a Thursday press release. “We know that the best people to ask about the needs of a community are the members of that community, and this program positions Idahoans to create workforce solutions that are responsive and tailor-made for their area’s individual needs.”

ICRS grants will go to boost CTE initiatives in Idaho’s middle and high schools, particularly those in rural and remote regions of the state. Eligible expenses include, but are not limited to:

• Capital expenditures needed to upgrade and expand existing CTE programs (e.g., machines, tools, and other one-time purchases)
• Capital costs associated with building programming and construction (e.g., architectural and design fees, actual construction costs, and costs to finish out an existing construction project)
• Initial investments to develop CTE programs specific to a local region and job market (e.g., instructional and program promotional materials and supples, consumable materials and supplies, and equipment specific to program instruction)

Project proposals should be sustainable, responsive to community and statewide workforce needs and supportive of partnerships between schools and industry stakeholders. Preference will be given to projects in rural and remote districts, or schools that otherwise have trouble accessing resources to create lasting CTE programs.

There is no set application deadline for ICRS grants — the 11-member ICRS program council, led by state superintendent Debbie Critchfield, will meet quarterly to review applications.

To some, the go-on rate depicts failure — less than half of Idaho students are heading to college immediately after high school. Others say that the data paints an incomplete picture of the success stories that come out of Idaho schools. 

Both narratives have some truth to them. The state isn’t hitting its 60% go-on benchmark — a goal the State Board established years ago. In fact, the go-on rate has consistently declined since 2017, when Idaho last hit 50%. 

But the majority of students are furthering their education in other ways: they’re completing apprenticeships, enlisting in the military, going to trade schools or getting high-paying jobs with benefits right out of high school. These stories are left out of the data.

And misconceptions about go-on data — which actually includes multiple statistics, and tracks college enrollment up to three years after a student graduates high school — cause confusion about what “going on” really means.

In our new “Beyond go-on” series, we’re breaking down the numbers, and investigating where the majority of Idaho students are going after high school, if not to college. 

How go-on data is gathered — and a breakdown of the most recent data

To build the annual go-on scores, the State Board uses data from the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) — a national nonprofit dedicated to education research. 

The NSC collects student enrollment data from around 3,600 colleges and universities — representing an estimated 97% of college enrollment, according to the organization’s website.

 In Idaho, the NSC collects data from 12 colleges and universities:

• Boise State University.
• Idaho State University.
• University of Idaho.
• College of Western Idaho.
• College of Southern Idaho.
• College of Eastern Idaho.
• North Idaho College.
• Lewis-Clark State College.
• Brigham Young University, Idaho.
• Northwest Nazarene University.
• The College of Idaho.
• Carrington College.

The NSC also gathers enrollment data for Idaho graduates who study in other states. 

The State Board uses these numbers, combined with enrollment data gathered directly from state universities and colleges, to produce a set of annual go-on rates. 

Although there are multiple go-on rates — which cover everything from five-year enrollment to demographic breakdowns — one gets the bulk of attention from Idahoans, including legislators and policymakers: the fall-immediate go-on rate.

The fall-immediate rate is typically referred to as simply ‘the go-on rate.’ The number depicts the percentage of students who continue their higher education in the fall just after their high school graduation.

The most recent fall-immediate rate is 42%, according to data released by the State Board on June 30. That percentage shows that 8,459 out of Idaho’s 20,253 2022 high school graduates attended college the semester following their high school graduation.

Idaho’s fall-immediate rate has remained consistent for the past three years, after a drop during the pandemic:

• 2019: 47%
• 2020: 42%
• 2021: 43%
• 2022: 42%

The last time Idaho hit a 50% go-on rate was in 2017.

The State Board also captures three-year go-on rates, which account for students who enroll in a higher education institution within three years of graduating high school. The State Board uses the fall-immediate rate as a base, and adds on enrollment measured at the three year mark after a high school class graduated. That means the data changes and becomes more accurate with time — but it also falls out of the limelight, and few pay attention to the updated data.

When measuring go-on data for the class of 2017, for example, the state would release a fall-immediate rate around July 2018 and a three-year rate in 2020.

The State Board measures this data to account for students who may not go to college immediately after high school, but enroll after serving religious missions or taking gap years — typically, the state sees an increase of at least 10 percentage points in college enrollment from a graduating class’ fall-immediate rate to their three-year rate. 

The most recent three-year rate is for the class of 2018. It shows that by 2021 — three years after graduation — 60% of graduated students had enrolled in college, a 12 percentage point jump from the class of 2018’s fall-immediate rate, which sat at 48%.

Similar jumps were seen in previous years’ data: 

• Class of 2017: 50% fall-immediate, 63% three-year.
• Class of 2016: 49% fall-immediate, 63% three-year.
• Class of 2015: 48% fall-immediate, 64% three-year.
• Class of 2014: 49% fall-immediate, 64% three-year.

The state also breaks down go-on demographics data, and each school receives its own go-on rate. 

In a June 30 announcement, the State Board adjusted go-on rates for 2020, 2021 and 2022 upward, due to data reconfigurations within the National Student Clearinghouse. It is unclear how these adjustments impacted demographics data. This demographics data was obtained prior to the adjustments.

State Board data for the 2020-21 school year shows that go-on rates for groups that typically see more college-bound graduates — white students, female students and students who are not eligible for free or reduced-price lunches (FRPL) — dropped at higher rates during the pandemic than demographics with lower go-on rates.

Still, Hispanic, male and low-income student populations see fewer college enrollments.

What does the go-on data tell us, and what is it used for?

The go-on data doesn’t tell the complete story of most Idaho graduates, but it does give a look into who is going to college right after high school — and who isn’t.

Most Idaho graduates aren’t going to one of the 12 colleges measured by the NSC right after high school — only 42% are. But most graduates are going to college within three years after graduation, showing that there’s a desire among students to take gap years, go on missions, or explore another option between graduation and college. Still, according to the most recent data, 40% of graduates aren’t going to college at all.

And the students who don’t go to college right away are disproportionately male, Hispanic and/or low-income.

This data, state officials say, helps colleges and state agencies measure the effectiveness of programs designed to improve the high school-to-college pipeline. The data can shed light on higher education needs and disparities across the state, and show higher education institutions how they can better serve the communities who are falling through the cracks.

But gaps in the data create some limitations to how the rates can be used, and what they really mean. 

What the data doesn’t include — and what it means for Idaho schools and students

Go-on data is based on a trove of information — but it still doesn’t tell the whole story. Many of the paths it overlooks are gaining popularity among students — and receiving more state funding and support. 

State data excludes post-high school paths outside the traditional college arena, including most trade schools, job training programs and apprenticeships in Idaho. It also leaves out students who go straight into the workforce, enlist in the military, serve religious missions, or volunteer for organizations like the Peace Corps. 

Career training schools like Oliver Finley, Aveda and Paul Mitchell cosmetology schools, and Meridian’s Northwest Lineman College, aren’t counted in state data. Neither are Boise Bible College or Moscow’s New Saint Andrews College.

Upwards of 500 students attend cosmetology programs statewide. As of 2020, another 785 students were enrolled at Northwest Lineman College. Hundreds more enroll in workforce training programs or apprenticeships outside the traditional college and university system each year. 

These exclusions, some educators and state officials say, paint a limited picture of what “going on” really means for Idaho students. 

“We want to be held accountable for whatever metrics the State Board comes up with, but we want the accountability to be fair and accurate, and not underrepresented.” – Jim Foudy, Blaine County School District superintendent. 

Blaine County superintendent Jim Foudy is a longtime advocate for more comprehensive go-on data. 

In his previous role as McCall-Donnelly district superintendent, Foudy gathered qualitative go-on data from graduates each year. He knew where each of their around 60 graduates were headed. The majority, he said, were going to college, trade schools or straight into the workforce. They were contributing to their communities and their local economies. 

But when the district received its annual go-on report, many success stories weren’t depicted. 

“The percentage that we got from the go-on rate data wasn’t consistent with the percentage that we empirically knew,” Foudy said. “And when I started talking with some superintendents about it — the veteran superintendents — their response was, ‘We’ve always known that the data is not accurate.’” 

But accuracy matters, said Foudy. The superintendent doesn’t want the data to disappear, but he wants the public to know what it really means for Idaho students. 

“We want to be held accountable for whatever metrics the State Board comes up with, but we want the accountability to be fair and accurate, and not underrepresented,” the superintendent said.

The issue boils down to definitions.

Foudy views going to trade school or a career apprenticeship as viable “go-on” options — but the definition that underlies the data is much more limited.

Foudy worked with staff at the State Board and the Idaho School Boards Association to try to broaden the definition of go-on and account for more students’ plans, but they hit roadblocks, including a lack of official data on alternative post-high school options, strict national reporting requirements, and simple clerical errors. 

Cathleen McHugh, the State Board’s chief research officer, acknowledges these gaps — and the issues they present to districts and students. 

“This is just one positive post-high school outcome,” McHugh said of going on to college. “We want to stress that there are many ways to be successful, this is just one of them.” 

State superintendent Debbie Critchfield agrees. 

“There’s so many ways to account for that success that can’t be rolled up into a math equation.” – Debbie Critchfield, superintendent of public instruction. 

Throughout her tenure as State Board president and state superintendent, she has advocated for messaging that recognizes the success stories beyond the traditional college and university system.

During the most recent legislative session, Critchfield spearheaded legislation supporting career-technical education, apprenticeship programs and job training initiatives — all options that funnel added support to students who may not want to go to college right after graduation. 

“We can’t capture all the ways that people are successful and how they go on,” Critchfield said. “There’s so many ways to account for that success that can’t be rolled up into a math equation.” 

Critchfield isn’t discounting higher education or degrees, she said, but she wants to help every student feel confident in their post-high school plan — whether it includes college or not. 

Excluding alternative post-high school paths from the data does a disservice not only to school leaders and staff, according to Foudy, but also to students. 

“The (go-on) data, it’s not meaningful for a lot of our students,” said Foudy. “Wood River High School graduated 227 kids this year, and 90% of them are doing something productive with their lives right out of high school, yet our go-on rate, it’s probably going to be around 40%.” 

But the majority of Idaho students aren’t going to college — at least not right away. And they aren’t failing society or couch-surfing at mom’s house. Instead, most of Idaho’s youth are choosing to go straight into the workforce, travel, volunteer, attend a trade school or join the military. 

But Idaho’s go-on rates exclude these nontraditional post-high school options, and there’s no other data that reflects the full range of what students are really doing after high school. 

So, to get an idea of what the majority of students in Idaho are doing, EdNews asked seniors in Malad and Gooding about their post-high school plans. 

Here’s what they had to say. 

Our survey — and the results

In April, EdNews surveyed seniors in Malad and Gooding — two districts with go-on rates near the state average. 

The six-question survey asked teens about their plans for after high school, how they decided on those plans, and to what extent they feel prepared to exit high school and embark on their chosen paths. Each question was multiple choice, with an “other” option and room to comment. 

By June, we collected responses from 80 students across both schools. Of those respondents, 100% have a plan. 

But for nearly half of them, that plan doesn’t immediately include college. 

About 47.5% of students aren’t continuing their education — their goals include serving a religious mission, taking one or more gap years, traveling, volunteering, going to trade school or heading straight into the workforce. None said they were going into the military, and only one student responded she isn’t sure, but later said she wants a higher education, but doesn’t have the money. 

Over 50% of students in Malad and Gooding said they will attend college this fall, with 16.25% going to two-year colleges, and another 36.25% heading to four-year universities. 

These numbers only account for 80 out of around 150 seniors across both districts. According to Malad college and career counselor Nacona Smith, the numbers are pretty accurate. 

Smith keeps records of every Malad senior’s plans after they graduate. According to her data, around 57% of Malad seniors will go to college, another 18% will go to a technical school, and the remaining 25% will take a gap year or work. 

But Smith says she expects the number of Malad graduates who plan on going to college in August to drop over the next few months. The summer between graduation and college start dates, she says, is critical. 

“Kids need a lot of support their first year after high school,” Smith said. “Some kids come back and meet with me after graduating, but a lot of them will get overwhelmed with FAFSA or student loans, they’ll just give up over the summer and never make it to campus in the fall.” 

Even toward the end of the school year, Smith heard from students who had nixed their plans to go to college, choosing instead to work for a year and save money.

Idaho seniors feel the weight of their futures

Students aren’t making decisions lightly.

Stress and anxiety are high as seniors navigate the final months of high school, said Smith, who acts as the main support for seniors as they navigate their post-high school options. At just 18 years old, these students are making choices that will impact the rest of their lives. 

And they feel the pressure — from finances to family expectations to timing, students in Malad and Gooding factored plenty into their final decisions.

In our survey, 32.5% of students said college had always been the expectation, and another 6.25% said going to college was their decision alone. Some of these students also received college scholarships.

Another 15% of students said finances played a role in their choice.

One said she knows what she wants to study, but doesn’t have the funds to attend college in the fall — she’ll be working to save money and eventually attend college at a later date.

Another student is heading to a trade school, after discussing finances with his friends and family.

“A trade school would be a lot cheaper,” he wrote in the survey’s comment section.

Another 18.75% of students said they want to go straight into the workforce. Another 26.25% said their chosen career either doesn’t require higher education, or requires trade school or career training instead of a formal college or university degree.

One student said their current part-time job could turn into a full-time position after graduation, and they want to pursue that option instead of a college degree.

For 12 students, timing is a significant factor — they need more time to figure out what they want to do and if/where they want to go to college. Five students said they don’t see value in higher education: high tuition costs don’t match the value of a college degree, one student said.

Most students feel prepared for life after high school — but those who don’t are vocal

A wide majority — 80% — of students said their K-12 education prepared them for their next steps.

But the 20% of students who don’t feel ready had a lot to say.

Most said they feel prepared academically — but they don’t know enough about taxes, budgeting or how to navigate the real world as individuals.

“I feel I am still missing basic life skills,” said one survey respondent. “I feel that due to the nature of the school system, individual thought is not necessarily supported. I feel that being able to build my own schedule will be difficult at first when entering college and adult life. I do think that I was supported in my college career through high school, but I don’t think it is built right now to support individual paths as much as it could.”

Others agreed:

• “Academically yes, experience-wise kind of, real life problems no.”
• “There’s so much time wasted trying to get that A/B grade that I didn’t even learn, I just wanted to pass.”
• “No, no one taught me the basics of how to start and run a business.”
• “The world is different outside of school.”
• “My parents and the internet have made me who I am and taught me what I know.”
• “My school experience did not really give me the social skills that I would have liked to have so I would be more comfortable around new people.”
• “I wish we got to focus on the classes that actually help us in the future.”
• “I think we were never prepared for adult things.”

Students see themselves in a diverse set of careers

We asked students where they see themselves in five years — and their answers paint a vibrant picture of the future of Idaho. Whether they’re planning on going to college or not, Idaho’s students have dreams and aspirations — from traveling to teaching to piloting airplanes.

Check back Wednesday for our profiles of three recent graduates and their post-high school plans.

And some measure success by their quality of life. No matter what level of education or career they have, they just want to be happy, healthy and financially independent.

“Hopefully still alive, and maybe married with one kid or a pet,” said one respondent.

“Happier,” said another.

Here are some student responses — in their own words.

“I see myself working as a dental hygienist.”

“I see myself living out of state and working my dream job. I also will hopefully be one step closer to owning my own business after working in the cosmetology program for a few years building up clientele.”

“Working diesel mechanics.”

“Being a very successful business woman, and being a cowgirl.”

“Working in a hospital as a RN.”

“I see myself with a bachelor’s degree and a religious mission served.”

“I see myself helping individuals make smart financial decisions and setting them up for a comfortable lifestyle, while living comfortably myself.”

“Working my dream job and traveling the world.”

“In 5 years, I see myself finishing my bachelor’s degree in elementary education. I will be a BYU alumni and make a decision about whether I want to get my master’s degree. I would love to be settling down and finding a place to share my life with someone.”

“I will be an occupational therapy assistant and have a little ranch in Colorado.”

“Saved up money, exploring and starting to find somewhere to settle for a while.”

“Graduating UVU with an advanced degree.”

“I see myself trying to run my own makeup brand and hopefully owning my own salon.”

“Having a secondary education in math teaching at some school.”

“In five years, I will be beginning my career in wildlife research.”

“In five years, I see myself wealthy, working a good job as an EMT or cop, and being closer to God.”

“Graduating from college and heading towards teaching school.”

“Completing or having already completed grad school.”

“Hopefully, piloting an airplane.”

“Working at an auto shop.”

“I see myself in veterinary school.”

“In an apartment or house where I work as an artist.”

We talked with four Idaho graduates about their college and career plans, and they’re all going in different directions.

One student will go to a four-year college this fall, one to a two-year college, one will take a gap year and one 2018 graduate never went to college — and doesn’t have plans to.

Each of them has a goal, and is taking their own path to achieving it.

For DaLacie Scott, financial security matters more than fulfilling someone else’s timeline

DaLacie Scott wants to go to college — but not if it jeopardizes her bank account.

The Malad graduate has known since sophomore year exactly what she wants to do — become an English teacher. She wants to inspire students the way her 10th grade English teacher inspired her.

But Scott is diverging from the traditional path — instead of heading to college right away and racking up debt for her future career, she’s holding out for a year, or until she can build up enough savings to pay for school herself.

She made the tough decision during her senior year of high school. She had planned on going to Idaho State University in the fall, but didn’t receive any scholarships, due to medical issues that compromised her eligibility. After months of stress over finances and timing, Scott realized that she can create her own timeline.

“It was a hard decision to make because I wanted to go to college,” Scott said. “I don’t want to be that person who takes a gap year and 10 years down the line is still taking a gap year. It wasn’t a quick decision, I thought about it for a while and this is just the best decision right now.”

“I’m not taking a gap year because I’m tired of school and I just want to sleep in. This is to help me get more prepared, so that when I do go to college, I’m ready.” – DaLacie Scott, Malad

Scott, who currently works at Subway, said she’ll continue working in the food service industry until she has enough money to pay for school. She’s fine with taking out loans, but she wants to be able to pay them off as she goes — rather than leaving college with decades of debt in front of her.

When Scott announced her decision to her family, they were surprised. Her mom offered to take out loans so Scott could head to ISU immediately. But for Scott, who will be the first in her family to go to college, it was important that she figured it out on her own — and her family respected that.

“I don’t come from a wealthy family, there’s no way that I can just pull money out of thin air,” Scott said. “But I want to pay for my own college since it’s me who’s wanting to go. Now that I’m graduated, I can just focus on working toward my goal.”

Scott knows there will be people doubting her, but she’s confident in her own decision. She wants people to know that she’s driven — she knows exactly what she wants, and how she wants to get there.

“I’m not taking a gap year because I’m tired of school and I just want to sleep in,” Scott said. “This is to help me get more prepared, so that when I do go to college, I’m ready.”

Natalie Mireles says community college is her perfect first step toward success

Natalie Mireles’ Hispanic roots helped shape not only what she wants to be, but where she wants to go to college.

After helping out in her family’s local shop for years — and watching her parents work hard to support her — Mireles found a passion for serving Latino communities, and a yearning for higher education. She realized she wanted to continue her family’s legacy by becoming an immigration lawyer.

“I’m going to be the first in my family to be able to go to college,” the Gooding graduate said. “(My family) influenced me a whole bunch to be able to do something with myself and not have to work like they do.”

This fall, Mireles will start at the College of Southern Idaho, a Twin Falls-based two-year college with an off-campus location in Gooding. CSI is Idaho’s first designated Hispanic Serving Institution, with over 25% Hispanic undergraduate enrollment.

Some have cast doubts that CSI is the best place to start a career in law, Mireles said. But the school is her perfect choice.

“There’s been a whole bunch of support, but there’s also been doubts, but we’re not going to satisfy everyone in this world. You can only really satisfy yourself and what you want to do. And I’m doing that.” – Natalie Mireles, Gooding

During high school, Mireles enrolled in Latinos in Action — a dual credit class at CSI, powered in part by a Utah nonprofit — and was inspired.

The class empowers Latino youth to lead and strengthen their communities. For Mireles, that looked like volunteering throughout her town, tutoring elementary students and learning about finances. The class prepared her for life after high school, and fueled her dream of becoming an immigration lawyer — it also helped her get scholarships.

Once she completed the program, Mireles was set on CSI. The college, she says, will give her a good foundation before she eventually transfers to a university. CSI will support her needs and recognize the unique struggles that accompany being a young Latina in Idaho.

Attending CSI will also let her stick close to home, continue work in her family business, and save money for her future schooling.

“There’s been a whole bunch of support, but there’s also been doubts,” said Mireles. “But we’re not going to satisfy everyone in this world. You can only really satisfy yourself and what you want to do. And I’m doing that.”

Hesston Harrison chose an out-of-state college to kickstart his nursing career

As a kid, Malad graduate Hesston Harrison spent a lot of time in the hospital. He’d go to work with his mom — a phlebotomist — and watch her do her part to get patients the help they needed.

That experience, and his own passion for service, inspired the now-teenager to go into the medical field.

“I like helping people,” Harrison said. “I get a little spark when I help people live their best lives.”

During high school, Harrison worked as a certified nursing assistant — a certification he received through his high school. And in the fall, Harrison will head to Weber State University to study nursing.

But the decision wasn’t easy, he said. As a football player, hospital employee and student, he already had trouble juggling his responsibilities. And the stress of deciding his future and facing the real world added even more pressure.

College wasn’t a given, he said. He didn’t always like school, and wasn’t sure if that was really the route he wanted to take — especially when he could progress in the medical field without a degree.

“Let kids make the decisions. Your kid knows what’s best for them only, and no one else does.” – Hesston Harrison, Malad

But he settled on college after conversations with his mom, who helped him see the value of a degree, and Nacona Smith, Malad’s college and career counselor. Smith helped Harrison find the path that best suits him by helping arrange college visits, signing him up for dual credit classes and helping schedule his prerequisites for his first year at college.

Finances also played their own role. Harrison’s dad lives in Utah, so the teenager is able to receive in-state tuition to Weber State. He also received a $9,000 scholarship from the Utah college, along with the local Nell J. Redfield Memorial Hospital Scholarship, Oneida County Ambulance Scholarship, Donald S. and Marjorie May Vaughan Memorial Scholarship.

Harrison is excited for his future, he says. He’s proud that he’s following his dreams — and that he made his own decision.

“Let kids make the decisions,” Harrison said. “Your kid knows what’s best for them only, and no one else does.”

Ethan Gillespie found his own success without a single college class

In second grade, Ethan Gillespie’s teacher asked him about his dream career.

While other students said they wanted to be a cop or a fireman, Gillespie had an unorthodox response: he wanted to go to the Oscars.

The response drew a laugh from his classroom, but Gillespie was serious — and no ridicule could turn him away from his dream. By the time he graduated from Rocky Mountain High School in 2018, he had plans to move to Los Angeles and start acting and modeling full-time.

When he told friends, family and teachers about his plan, many weren’t supportive.

“I got negative feedback from everyone,” he said. “Constant criticism. But people are always going to tell you what they think you should do, even when you’re doing well. You have to follow your inner compass more than anyone else’s, follow your inner voice.” 

Gillespie made a living acting and modeling until COVID struck in 2020, pushing the then-20-year-old to pursue other options.

Gillespie moved to Salt Lake City during the pandemic, and was hired as a sales development representative for Canopy, a software company. Quickly — and without a college degree — Gillespie was earning a six-figure income.

And on top of his corporate job, Gillespie started two businesses — a photography and videography company and a holistic wellness company. The businesses allowed the Rocky Mountain graduate to earn additional income, and pursue passions that he couldn’t fulfill in the corporate arena.

And Gillespie fulfilled his second-grade dream. In 2019, he attended the Oscars.

“I was in the nosebleeds, but it didn’t matter,” he said. “I couldn’t help but laugh about that interaction in second grade. I don’t feel bad about it anymore.”

Gillespie has never regretted his decision not to go to college. On some days, he’s wondered what his life might be like, but he’s also watched friends struggle with student debt, piles of homework, and limited job searches after getting their degrees. Those are things he doesn’t have to worry about, he says.

Between earning online certificates and real-world work experience, starting his own businesses, and just working with a mentor who has helped him through his career, Gillespie has furthered his education without going to college. He still values a college education, but feels that it isn’t necessary to achieve success.

“You can be educated, just not formally,” he said. 

And as they’ve described their post-high school plans, I’ve heard hesitation — even shame — in their voices.

Their responses transported me back into my own senior year at Middleton High School, when I expected adults to respond with disappointment or doubt when I answered the dreaded question: “Where are you going to college?”

Because despite the countless hours I spent sitting in a high school classroom filling out mandatory college and scholarship applications, and the barrage of university pamphlets and swag my family received in the mail, I knew I wasn’t going to college — at least not right away. 

I was going on a foreign exchange.

It had been my plan for two years, when I first learned about Rotary Youth Exchange — a one-year immersion program that sends teens to another country to learn a different language, new customs, and become a world citizen and ambassador for the Rotary Club. 

It was the only option for life after high school that sparked my interest and got me excited about my future. 

Part of the appeal was obvious — I’d be living in another country, learning a new language and traveling across Europe. It seemed like something out of a movie.

But beyond the reverie, going on exchange was uniquely practical.

I didn’t know what I wanted to study, where I wanted to go or who I wanted to be. Plus, I had always been a year younger than my classmates. The thought of heading to college at barely 17 years old and spending thousands of dollars on an education I might regret was terrifying.

Going on a foreign exchange was not only a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, it was a buffer period where I could grow and learn to be on my own with support from a host family, a community of fellow exchange students and a trusted international service club.

It was my version of college prep.

But when I told friends, family and teachers about my plans, I was often met with confusion — even concern. 

I was a dedicated student with good grades and I loved school. Not going to college was a divergence from the path that others imagined for me. Taking a gap year — no matter how fruitful it would eventually turn out to be — caused people in my life to worry that I would flounder in the real world, never make it to college and never reach my “full potential.”

But by senior year, my mind was made.

And in July 2017, just two months after graduating from Middleton High, I hopped on a plane to Borås, Sweden.

All my foundations were broken when I left. Between learning a new language, adapting to a new family dynamic and handling life for the first time without my parents or friends, it was a tough process for a 17-year-old.

But the experience I gained was the perfect springboard into my freshman year of college.

My gap year gave me perspective on my future and my education. Although I still didn’t know what I wanted to study, I knew I didn’t want to limit my education. I wanted learning experiences that were immersive and comprehensive.

That new perspective led me to The College of Idaho — a Caldwell-based private liberal arts college where I could graduate with one major and three minors. Before leaving Idaho, I had discounted the C of I simply because it was five minutes away from home. But after a year abroad, I realized that being close to home might not be so bad.

And when I arrived at the college, I realized just how prepared I was for the turbulence of freshman year. I knew I could get through the hard times because I had handled tougher situations on exchange. Rolling with the punches was my specialty.

Without knowing Swedish, I traveled across every region of the country by train. I navigated large, foreign cities alone, and built my own patchwork family of exchange students. I witnessed fights, got lost in the forest, missed planes and trains, and attended school entirely in Swedish.

But exchange taught me how to thrive in independence, how to persevere and how to enjoy life despite the struggles — all lessons I would use during my freshman year as I went through some of the same experiences: navigating a new campus, adapting to a new living situation, and pushing through hours worth of homework, often working into the early hours of the morning.

During my freshman year, I often reflected on exchange and how it benefited me.

Going to college right out of high school would have been a mistake, but it was the option that most people were pushing me toward. It was the expectation.

But by ignoring others’ doubts and following my own desires, I gained something irreplaceable. To this day, I look back on exchange as one of the most challenging, yet beneficial years of my life.

For me, taking a gap year was absolutely the right choice — and I still find ways to incorporate my experiences from exchange into my daily life.

I made it off my mom’s couch, into college and I’m leading a successful career in journalism. I am proof that broadening the expectations for students graduating high school, and letting young adults make their own decisions, can result in unexpected, yet extremely rewarding, outcomes.

The new dress code comes after district data revealed discrepancies in dress code enforcement that disproportionately targeted female students and students of color. The district embarked on a months-long process of digging into the code, and collecting community and student feedback.

Trustees focused on cutting down arbitrary language in the new policy to prevent inconsistency from school to school, and give school staff clear guidelines. They hope the new policy will improve student-staff relationships, limit the code’s impact on teaching time and give parents more control over their child’s dress and education.

The proposal also emphasizes enforcement training for administrators and school staff.

One district patron showed for public comment on the code.

Becky Terhaar, a mother of two Boise students, said she’s seen the impacts of the previous dress code first hand.

Her daughter, now a high schooler, has been frequently cited for violating the dress code throughout her time at North Junior High School and now Boise High School. She began testing the dress code to see if her friends would get cited while wearing her clothes, and they weren’t.

“The dress code was less about the attire and more about how some adults in the classroom or in the school setting were uncomfortable being around students with breasts,” Terhaar told the board.

The new code, she said, is a vast improvement on the previous code — with some caveats.

“It goes a long way toward reducing the sort of uneven enforcement that often targeted people based on their body type or just their manner of dressing in ways that maybe weren’t actually inappropriate but stood out from their peers,” she said.

But Terhaar added that prohibiting “visible underwear” could unintentionally lead to added violations for students who wear bras as undershirts or for extra coverage.

The board acknowledged Terhaar’s comment before unanimously approving the policy, and said changes could be made to the new code down the line.

Trustee applications to open Wednesday

The Boise School Board is on the lookout for a new trustee.

The board officially declared a vacancy Monday night, left by former trustee Andy Hawes, who announced his departure at a May meeting.

Trustee applications will go live on Wednesday, according to board president Dave Wagers, and district staff. Any district patron who wants to apply to be a trustee must return their application by Aug. 11. The board will then host a workshop on Aug. 18 to narrow down applications, and will later conduct candidate interviews.

The goal, said Wagers, is to have a new trustee in place by Sept. 11.

Board approves three ISBA resolutions

Trustees approved three resolutions — or legislative directives — to take to the Idaho School Boards Association later this year for full approval. ISBA resolutions, if approved, become the education organization’s legislative priorities for the year.

The resolutions consider paraprofessional requirements, school funding, and open enrollment.

Requirements for paraprofessional employment in Idaho 

This resolution calls for an amendment to Idaho Code that would eliminate roadblocks for prospective paraprofessionals, said trustee Nancy Gregory.

As of December 2022, local districts can no longer administer the PRAXIS — an aptitude test for prospective parapros. Instead, they must go to a testing site and pay an $80 test fee.

“The testing system is already backlogged nearly one month for scheduling the test, and should the prospective employee fail the test by even a single point, they would need to wait at least another month to retest,” reads the resolution.

The resolution calls on the Legislature to allow local districts to administer State Board-approved assessments for paraprofessional certification in lieu of the PRAXIS.

“This is not just a Boise School District issue, this is a statewide issue,” said Gregory.

Open enrollment program and building capacity limits

This resolution comes as a reaction to a law passed in the most recent legislative session, which requires schools to accept students from outside district boundaries — a program known across Idaho as open enrollment.

The directive calls on the Legislature to allow districts to make exceptions in open enrollment when school buildings are at or over capacity, or when a school’s special programs (like career technical education and special education) are full.

It would also allow a district to transfer a student to another school without parental consent, when their current school has reached or exceeded capacity.

K-12 funding formula principles

The district’s final resolution calls on the Legislature to rewrite Idaho’s school funding formula — a complex system that dictates how schools get money and how much money they receive.

The new formula should adhere to principles and requirements laid out in the resolution:

• Predictability
• Adequacy
• Transparency
• Stability
• Uniformity and thoroughness
• Supportive of quality staffing
• Holds harmless (does not decrease the per-pupil dollars a district currently receives)
• Reinstates enrollment based funding
• Accountability

All three resolutions will be heard and voted on by the Idaho School Boards Association membership this fall.

The new fall-immediate “go-on” rate is consistent with other post-pandemic percentages, even after the State Board boosted the numbers based on new data. All in all, the rates show the number of college-bound students dropped by about five percentage points during the pandemic — a dip that has remained stagnant since 2020.

But rates vary from district to district, and school to school. Here’s a look at some localized go-on scores.

Top performing high schools

Once again, Coeur d’Alene Charter Academy tops the go-on list — 86% of the North Idaho school’s graduates headed to college last fall. The school is a perpetual top performer for college enrollment.

This data includes public schools with 35 graduates or more.

Meridian Medical Arts Charter High School (West Ada), North Star Public Charter School (Meridian) and Renaissance High School (West Ada) have the next three best rates.

Here are the state’s top 10 performing high schools, and their go-on rates:

• Coeur d’Alene Charter Academy — 86%
• Meridian Medical Arts Charter High School (West Ada) — 85%
• North Star Public Charter School (Meridian) — 81%
• Renaissance High School (West Ada) — 75%
• Timberline High School (Boise) — 75%
• Boise High School — 72%
• McCall-Donnelly High School — 64%
• Moscow High School — 64%
• Xavier Charter School (Twin Falls) — 63%
• Eagle High School — 62%
• Coeur d’Alene High School — 62%

Low college-going rates

Alternative high schools and online schools account for most of Idaho’s lowest go-on rates. The scores reflect these schools’ student populations — alternative high schools serve students at risk of not graduating high school.

Bonneville’s Technical Careers High School, which came in with the lowest go-on rate, is not an alternative school.

Go-on data does not include students who go straight into the workforce, take gap years, go into the military or serve religious missions.

Here are the state’s lowest performing schools, and their go-on rates:

• Middleton Academy — 8%
• Jefferson High School — 8%
• iSucceed Academy (online) — 8%
• Lincoln High School (Bonneville) — 7%
• Independence Alternative (Blackfoot) — 6%
• New Horizon High School (Pocatello) — 5%
• Mt. Harrison Jr./Sr. High School (Minidoka) — 5%
• Insight of Idaho (online) — 4%
• Mountainview Alternative (Lakeland) — 4%
• Technical Careers High School (Bonneville) — 3%

And here’s Idaho’s lowest performers, excluding alternative and vocational high schools.

• Rigby High School — 29%
• Declo High School — 28%
• South Fremont High School — 26%
• Priest River Lamanna High School — 24%
• Snake River High School — 24%
• Madison High School — 24%
• Ririe Jr./Sr. High School — 23%
• Inspire Virtual Charter School — 23%
• Marsing School District — 22%

Idaho’s largest districts

Idaho’s large school districts encompass most of the state’s student population.

Of the top 10 biggest districts, most fall in line with or surpass the state’s 42% rate.

But some East Idaho districts, like Bonneville and Jefferson County, dip well below the average — likely due to the high LDS population in the region. Many East Idaho graduates serve religious missions before attending college.

Here’s how Idaho’s largest districts fared:

EdNews data analyst Randy Schrader contributed to this report. 

Filed on behalf of a seventh-grader, in concert with Boise High School’s Sexuality and Gender Alliance student organization, the lawsuit targets state superintendent Debbie Critchfield, State Board of Education members, the Boise School Board and Boise School District superintendent Coby Dennis.

“Idaho has launched another cruel and unconstitutional attack on a vulnerable population — transgender youth,” Peter Renn, senior counsel for law firm Lambda Legal, in a news release Friday morning. “This is not the first such attack on transgender youth, and sadly, it will likely not be the last.”

The lawsuit was filed Thursday night in Idaho’s federal district court. The complaint charges that the new law violates the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and Title IX standards by “discriminating on the basis of sex and transgender status, and by outing students as transgender.”

The law, Senate Bill 1100, passed during the 2023 legislative session. Signed by Gov. Brad Little on March 22, the bill went into effect on July 1.

SB 1100 requires students to use the bathroom or locker room aligned with the gender they were assigned at birth, rather than their gender identity. Students can receive accommodations from the school for alternative facilities.

According to the lawsuit, some Idaho schools have had bathroom policies in place for years that allow transgender youth to use the bathroom aligned with their gender identity. The plaintiffs say the new law will force districts to reverse course and rescind student rights.

“There is no reason to keep me and my transgender classmates from continuing to use the same school restrooms as our peers, which school policy has allowed us to do for years,” said Atlas Jones, president of the Sexuality and Gender Alliance at Boise High School. “It would be humiliating, distracting, and exhausting to try to make it through the school day without having proper access to bathrooms.”

The complaint describes SB 1100 as a “solution in search of a problem.”

New data provided by the National Student Clearinghouse (a national nonprofit that provides the State Board with the college enrollment data necessary to build go-on rates) shows that Idaho’s college-going rates for 2020, 2021 and 2022 are 3 to 5 percentage points higher than previously thought.

The go-on rates reflect the number of students who went to college in the fall immediately following their high school graduation.

Before the boosts, the data showed a drop of 6 percentage points from 45% in 2019 to 39% in 2020. Now, the data reflects a slightly smaller — but still significant — drop of 5 percentage points during the first year of the pandemic, from 47% in 2019 to 42% in 2020.

The discrepancy occurred because the original data did not account for “a significant percentage” of Idaho students enrolled in out-of-state colleges, according to Andy Mehl, the State Board’s educational analytics system program manager.

“The National Student Clearinghouse has improved its processes and given us better data,” State Board Chief Technology Officer Chris Campbell said in Friday’s press release.

New go-on rate is consistent with past years, shows some stagnation

The data also shows Idaho’s newest fall-immediate go-on rate: 42%.

It means that 42% of 2022 high school graduates (or just under 8,500 students) went to college in the fall immediately following their high school graduation. In other words, the majority of high school graduates aren’t heading to college right away, if at all.

The new score is consistent with fall-immediate go-on rates for the past three years (43% in 2021 and 42% in 2020), showing that the number of Idaho seniors heading straight to college could be stagnating.

And even with the retroactive boosts, the 2020-2022 go-on rates still fall below pre-pandemic scores.

Idaho’s fall-immediate go-on rate last hit 50% in 2017. Since then, it’s been on the decline, with one slight uptick in 2021:

• 2017: 50%
• 2018: 49%
• 2019: 47%
• 2020: 42%
• 2021: 43%
• 2022: 42%

Although the scores are higher than originally thought, they still don’t approach the State Board’s 60% go-on goal. Still, researchers see the boosts as a win.

“More Idaho students were going on to college during the pandemic than the data originally showed and that is positive news,” said Campbell.

Trustees voted after a 10-minute executive session.

The board also voted to hire a third-party investigator to look into matters related to a tort claim filed with the school district. The nature of the tort claim is, as of now, unclear. EdNews filed a public records request with the Council School Board to obtain the tort claim.

Edmunson has led Council since 2018. He was born and raised on the family farm in Council and graduated from the high school in 1984.

He made the move to Council after resigning as principal of New Plymouth High School amid a district investigation, and weeks of heated school politics. That investigation never resolved — Edmunson’s resignation came with a separation agreement that stopped it.

Edmunson also served in the Idaho Legislature from 2003-2008, and later became a special adviser to then-Gov. Butch Otter.

The topic of the ongoing investigation in Council is unclear. Check back for updates.

Policy 2050 prohibits classroom instruction on and discussions about gender identity, sexual orientation, transgender identity and gender expression. Conversations about these topics, according to the policy, should be left between a student and their parent or legal guardian. If a student wants to talk about gender identity or sexual orientation, they’ll be referred to a counselor, who will direct the conversation to the parent or guardian.

The policy also fulfills a law from the most recent legislative session, which requires students to use the bathroom, locker room or dressing facility that corresponds with their gender assigned at birth. That law goes into effect July 1.

Monday’s meeting extended into the late hours of the evening; public comment on the policy lasted just under an hour.

At least 10 district patrons spoke out against the policy, and at least nine patrons spoke in favor of it.

One opponent — a mother of a nonbinary student who attends Skyview High School — said the policy will “erase” her child. She’s concerned that under the new policy, her child will no longer be able to make art relating to LGBTQ+ themes in their art class, or talk about their gender identity openly at school.

Nampa patron Mindy OldenKamp said policy 2050 could exacerbate suicide rates, which are already higher among LGBTQ+ youth than other demographics. Other opponents said the policy would erode safe spaces for LGBTQ+ youth, and create opportunities for harassment and bullying by “othering” students.

“By not allowing the discussion of gender and orientation topics within schools, you’re no longer creating a safe environment for our kids,” said OldenKamp. “This quickly becomes a life and death issue for some.”

Many supporters said the new policy helps reinforce parental rights.

Some argued that the policy would work to prevent harassment and bullying based on gender identity or sexual orientation. Some alleged that their children are dealing with problems at school for being straight, white and cisgender.

Others said the policy would help educators get back to the basics: reading, writing and math. Two patrons, originally from California, commented that they moved to Nampa to get away from conversations about gender identity in the classroom.

“I’ve seen where this goes,” one man said.

Trustees deliberated the policy for about an hour.

Mandy Simpson, a Nampa trustee and Boise School District teacher, opposed the policy. She expressed concerns that the policy would make some students feel marginalized and unsafe.

“I know from firsthand experience, that if kids don’t feel safe in a classroom, they will not even begin to try to learn the reading, the writing, the math,” said Simpson.

Simpson agreed the Nampa district needs a policy that protects parental rights and provides guidelines around topics like gender identity and sexual orientation. But policy 2050, she said, would leave students and staff silenced.

Trustee Jeff Kirkman suggested that district staff make improvements to the policy to balance it equally for both sides. But later, Kirkman voted in favor of the policy.

Board chair Brook Taylor emphasized the importance of parents’ rights. In support of the policy, Taylor told the audience that she was voting yes because she recognizes the rights of parents to make their own decisions, and raise their kids with their own “core values.”

The board took a vote around 9:30 p.m.. Simpson was the only trustee to vote against the policy. Trustee Tracey Pearson was absent.

District superintendent Gregg Russell said the policy will give the district guidance.

“We need clarity in this district,” he said. “It’s not an easy thing to wrestle through…I know that is going to not be enough for some it’s going to be enough for others…I would like to have clarity so that when we go the next school year, our staff knows what to expect.”

After a nationally competitive hiring process, Micah was hired for his dream internship — a summer studying lithography at Micron’s Boise campus. The opportunity is his first, and only, chance to get real experience in his career field before starting a Ph.D. program at Boise State University in the fall. 

But Micah’s internship is on hold — and has been for weeks — due to his visa status. 

As an international student from South Sudan, Micah needs optional practical training (OPT) — a temporary extension of the F-1 student visa that allows international students to work in the United States for up to one year after graduation. 

After completing a lengthy application process and dishing out over $400 to submit his application in May, Micah’s OPT approval is still pending, putting his employment and finances at risk.

And he isn’t the only one facing roadblocks. 

Most international students at the C of I apply for OPT, according to McKay Cunningham, director of on-campus experiential learning at the Caldwell-based private college. The frustrating process — and the limitations that come with it — put international students at an “inherent disadvantage,” Cunningham says.

“They want to work, they need to make money, and they need to send some of that money to their families in their home countries,” he said. “They’re really frustrated with the suggestion that they can’t work like the domestic students can.”

A process fraught with limitations and frustrations

Most students apply for OPT during the final months of their senior year of college.

For students like Micah and fellow C of I graduate Thulasi Priya Ramesh, the process adds another measure of pressure to an already stressful period of life.

Micah graduated with three majors: chemistry, biomedical sciences and philosophy. He also earned minors in political economy and professional foundations, with biochemistry and pre-med specializations.

Ramesh, an international student from India, double-majored in international political economy and marketing and digital media. She worked on a 30-page thesis during her senior year, while also leading student trips for the college’s Outdoor Program and completing an internship in marketing and digital media.

On top of their busy schedules, the two spent hours completing their OPT applications.

Ramesh, who also hasn’t received her OPT, said the process was convoluted.

“It’s so confusing,” she said, outlining how the application requires thorough documentation. “It has its positives and negatives, but the process itself is complicated. It creates stress from freshman year that most people don’t even think about.”

For Ramesh, the job search wasn’t easy.

Employers hire for longevity; most workplaces want an employee who will stick around. But students on OPT get one year — sometimes three years for STEM majors — to work. Employers have to be willing to accept that, and support the intricacies that accompany OPT, when hiring.

Many choose not to.

On top of that, OPT-carriers must find a job that directly aligns with their major. An environmental science major can’t work in housing management, even if they’re the best candidate. And students facing an already limited job search are also on a strict timeline: from the time a student is approved for OPT, they have 90 days to find an eligible job and report their employment to the federal government, or they risk losing their visa for good.

“It’s very discouraging,” Ramesh said.

On the opposite end, students like Micah find suitable jobs before their OPT is approved — and they can’t do anything but wait. Not only does the delay limit their work experience, it puts a strain on their income.

“I’m praying I get it this week,” said Micah, who was supposed to receive his OPT by June 1 and begin working at Micron soon after. His start date was pushed once to June 12, and then again to June 20. If he doesn’t receive approval by his new start date, he’s considering volunteering his time with the company to get the experience he’s missing while he still can.

Both Micah and Ramesh expressed gratitude for OPT — without it, their options would be even more limited. But the process has taken its toll.

International students are an ‘asset’ to campuses and workplaces

Despite the barriers, international students are landing jobs in some of Idaho’s top companies.

The key is connections, said Ramesh, who will start a marketing job with the J.R. Simplot Company this summer, when she receives her OPT approval. The hiring team has recruited international students from the C of I in the past.

And the school’s administration agrees. Connections are important, said Cunningham, but international students also bring tremendous value and unique perspectives to Idaho workplaces.

“International students are absolutely critical to our campus,” said Cunningham. “They’ve landed a lot of really cool jobs. It’s a lot of work, a lot of frustration, but our students are really exceeding expectations all the time.”

“Our students are an incredible asset,” said Latonia Haney Keith, Vice President of High Impact Practices at C of I. “We’ve been talking to a lot of employers here in the Valley about the value of our international students, trying to get our corporations here to understand that there is value to OPT. Once our students are in the door, they do amazing things regardless of what the job is. And that just enriches our entire community.”

Christian Garcia, a former international student and student body president at the College of Idaho, said Micron supported him as he navigated a tricky immigration system. Garcia just finished his first year as an engagement coordinator for supplier diversity at Micron’s Boise campus, and will soon head home to Venezuela. His OPT expires in July.

“Once our students are in the door, they do amazing things regardless of what the job is. And that just enriches our entire community.” — Latonia Haney Keith, Vice President of High Impact Practices.

“Micron was one of the few companies that never really asked whether or not I had a way to stay in the U.S. long-term,” said Garcia. “I let them know that I only had a one-year work permit, and they told me that shouldn’t be a barrier, and that they would support me long-term. They helped with my immigration questions, and ensured that those conversations were always open and relevant.”

And Micron says the inclusion of OPT students in its workforce is part of its mission to expand diversity and inclusion efforts company-wide.

“We believe that when we work together to unleash inclusion in the workplace, we create breakthrough innovation,” said one Micron spokesperson. “That’s why we are committed to expanding semiconductor career opportunities to members of traditionally underrepresented communities.”

Micron and Simplot are just two of the companies that have fostered relationships with the C of I, and have supported dozens of international students on OPT. Others include the International Rescue Committee, Clearwater Analytics, D & B Supply and St. Luke’s Health System.

And for many international students, having that support from an employer makes a huge difference. They’re able to send money home to support their families, and build a life for themselves in Idaho — all while contributing to the local community and economy.

But that stability only lasts so long.

Most students only have one to three years before they need to figure out their next steps — many will either go to graduate school or leave the country after their OPT expires.

“It really is stressful,” said Ramesh. “I don’t really know what the next few years will look like.”

Both votes passed on a 3-2 vote, with trustees Margaret Hall and Carlyn Barton opposing. 

The moves are the latest development in a contentious debate around the board’s June 7 decision to appoint Durst to the superintendency.

Durst, a senior analyst of education policy research for the Idaho Freedom Foundation (a conservative Idaho think-tank), is a former Republican state superintendent candidate, Democratic state lawmaker and a controversial political figure. And Durst is currently lacking a qualification required for the superintendent job: four years of full-time, certificated employment in a school.

Durst plans on applying for and obtaining an emergency provisional certificate — a workaround that would allow the superintendent appointee to work in the position for up to a year, after which he would have to apply to extend his emergency authorization or reach the minimum qualifications for an administrator certificate with an endorsement as a school principal, superintendent, or director of special education.

An administrator certificate with a superintendent endorsement requires the following:
Doctorate degree or comparable education: An education specialist or doctorate degree OR having completed a comparable post-Master’s sixth year program at an accredited college or university
Four years spent working in a school: Four years of full-time certificated/licensed experience working with students while under contract in an accredited school setting
Administrative internship: Completion of an administrative internship in a state board approved program for the superintendent endorsement, or have one year of out-of-state experience as an assistant superintendent or superintendent
Completion of a post-master’s, school superintendent program: Provide verification of completion of an approved program of at least thirty (30) semester credit hours, of post-master’s degree graduate study for the preparation of school superintendents at an accredited college or university. This program in school administration must include demonstration of proficiency in conducting instructional and pupil service staff evaluations based on the statewide framework for evaluation, and demonstration of competencies in the Idaho standards for superintendents and the Idaho Standards for School Principals.
Recommendation: Receive an institutional recommendation for a superintendent endorsement.

Neither of Wednesday’s votes received much explanation from trustees.

The board quickly struck Durst’s recall from the agenda, and moved on to consideration of the contract. Board Chair Keith Rutledge called for a vote to table the contract discussion, citing concerns of “improper and unprofessional” conversations from within the district with legal counsel. The specific nature of the improprieties mentioned by Rutledge were unclear.

Wednesday’s votes occurred over eruptions from the audience.

Audience members loudly admonished the board for “ignoring freedom of speech” as trustees attempted to adjourn the meeting. One onlooker shouted at trustee Troy Reinbold to “sit up in his chair.”

“Man up and look up,” she said. “You’re a coward.”

“You work for us,” shouted another audience member.

Over a chorus of objections, Wednesday’s special meeting quickly adjourned minutes after it started. Future discussion of Durst’s contract will occur at Chair Rutledge’s discretion — a date has not yet been set. 

In 2019, a third-party report uncovered financial malpractice within the Boise charter, putting the school at risk of closure. But over the past three years, the school has operated on a balanced budget and improved most of its financial outcomes, according to a report given to the Idaho Public Charter School Commission Thursday.

But the school’s current building, located on Fairmeadow Dr. in Boise, is too large and too expensive for the charter to maintain, according to the report. The building was purchased in 2017, in hopes that the school’s student body population would grow to fill the space and pay off the facilities loan. But since 2019, the student population dropped by more than half.

In May, the charter board decided to exit its current loan — an option outlined in a December forbearance agreement between the VLA and its bank — and seek a smaller, more affordable building. The new facility is located on Goldstone Dr. in Meridian. The move could result in a boundaries shift for the school.