Bill > S1045

This bill amends Idaho Code Section 33-507 to modify rules about school district trustees' employment of their spouses. The bill expands existing restrictions on spousal employment, creating new provisions for school districts of different sizes. For districts with over 1,200 students, a trustee's spouse cannot be employed. For smaller districts (1,200 students or less), a spouse may be hired in a non-administrative position if specific conditions are met, including publicly listing the job, receiving no qualified applicants other than the spouse, and the trustee abstaining from the hiring vote. A new temporary provision allows districts with 400 or fewer students to hire a trustee's spouse in a non-administrative role until June 30, 2030, with additional conflict of interest protections. The bill requires that employed spouses be hired under specific contract categories: certificated employees must receive a category 1 contract, while non-certificated employees will be at-will employees with no continued employment rights. The trustee must also abstain from voting on matters directly affecting their spouse's employment, such as compensation, performance evaluations, and disciplinary actions, with some exceptions like voting on the district's annual budget. The legislation takes effect on July 1, 2025, and is presented as an emergency measure.

Education, Justice

Education Committee (S)

https://legislature.idaho.gov/sessioninfo/2025/legislation/S1045/