Bill > H0741

This bill establishes a program for "earned autonomy" for public charter schools in Idaho, allowing eligible schools to have more flexibility in how they spend their state funding. To qualify, a public charter school must not be a virtual school and must meet specific academic and performance requirements outlined in other sections of Idaho law. These schools will be able to use their allocated state funds, including discretionary and categorical funds, as they see fit to best serve their students, without needing to amend their charter or performance certificate. The bill also details how state funding will be calculated for these participating schools, based on prior year per-pupil funding adjusted for statewide changes and school population shifts. Importantly, participating schools will be exempt from numerous reporting requirements without penalty. This spending flexibility will carry over year to year, but eligibility can be revoked if a school has issues with its audits, fails to meet academic standards for two years, or has its charter revoked or renewed with conditions. The bill also ensures that teachers moving from these autonomous charter schools to other public schools will be recognized for their years of service. Finally, the State Board of Education is required to report on the program's impact in 2029, and the bill clarifies that federal and dedicated funds are not affected by these new provisions, with an emergency clause making the act effective on July 1, 2026.

Education

Education Committee (House)

https://legislature.idaho.gov/sessioninfo/2026/legislation/H0741/