House Bill 113 would allow school districts to authorize virtual charter schools. It would also allow charter school authorizers to “consider the student body makeup of a charter school during the certification and recertification process.”

House Bill 139 would prohibit any school or public library from promoting or making available “material harmful to minors.”

House Bill 163 addresses parental rights in the public school environment and would require districts to adopt policies requiring schools to take or abstain from taking certain actions with respect to parental involvement.

House Bill 181 would increase per-student funding for the Advanced Opportunities program by $500. It would also remove a cap that restricts how much funding each student can spend on career technical education (CTE) courses per year.

House Bill 182 would reinforce the right of employees of public educational institutions, including school districts, charter schools, and colleges, to pray at times when they are free to engage in personal conduct.

House Bill 196 would require schools to receive the permission of a student’s parent or legal guardian before that student takes part in any school club or organization.

Adds to existing law to provide for an investigation into the residency of a community college trustee and to provide for emergency authority of the State Board of Education when a community college's accreditation is threatened.

House Bill 228 would define “abstinence” as refraining from any sexual activity prior to marriage, including any physical contact that could result in pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, or emotional risks.

House Bill 267 would establish the Idaho Career Ready Students (ICRS) Program, which would be dedicated to expanding the capacity of rural communities to offer career technical education (CTE) to students in seventh through twelfth grade.

House Bill 268 would require elected school board officials to undergo state-mandated training by the State Department of Education or its designee.

House Bill 272 would require schools to receive written consent from a parent or guardian before a child can be enrolled in sex education instruction. It would also give parents the right to sue if a school district were to violate this practice or if classroom instruction in sex education is not made available to them.

Senate Bill 1015 would limit “extended learning opportunities,” which include things like career readiness skills or apprenticeships, to full-time public school students. It would also limit the ability to attain self-directed learner designations to full-time public school students.

Senate Bill 1038 would establish Freedom in Education Savings Accounts, education scholarships that would be available to every K-12 student in Idaho. Each participating student would receive $5,950 to use for educational services, as determined by the student or the student’s family.

Senate Bill 1042 would expand the cap on a program that enables charter schools to obtain lower interest rates on bonds for facility construction or improvements. It would also remove a provision that requires proof of above-average proficiency on the Idaho Standards Achievement Test (ISAT), which reportedly prevented some schools serving 100% at-risk students from participating.

Senate Bill 1043 would create a revolving loan fund to help new public charter schools obtain loans to construct buildings and make facility improvements at lower interest rates.

Senate Bill 1071 would prohibit school employees or third parties from teaching kindergarten through fourth grade students about human sexuality, sexual orientation, or gender identity. It would also clarify that no provisions within the bill should “be implied to grant authority or require the teaching of these subjects for grade 5 and above.”

Senate Bill 1099 would enable parents to inspect any instructional materials used in conjunction with a survey, evaluation, or analysis given to students. It would also require prior, written consent from a parent or guardian before a minor student may take a survey that reveals certain information, such as mental problems, sexual behaviors, or income. Anyone whose rights under the bill are violated would be able to sue.

Senate Bill 1100 would require public schools to separate bathrooms, locker rooms, showers, dressing areas, and overnight accommodations based on students’ biological sex.

Senate Bill 1125 would amend open enrollment laws to allow students to more easily transfer between school districts or between schools within their home district.

Senate Joint Resolution 102 would repeal Article IX, Section 5 of the Idaho Constitution, a provision known as the Blaine Amendment, which prohibits the Legislature or any other public entity from giving public funds to religious schools.