Senate committee advances bill narrowing statewide virtual-school operations; parents, providers urge caution

The Idaho Senate Education Committee on Monday voted to send Senate Bill 11 88 to the fourteenth order for possible amendment after lengthy debate and testimony from parents, virtual-school operators and education advocates.

Senator Dave Lent, the bill's sponsor, told the committee the measure seeks to "define the lane" between traditional school districts and statewide virtual providers and to clarify funding and oversight. "The intent is not to take away any of the learning opportunities that the students in our public system in Idaho currently have," Lent said, adding the proposal is driven by a rapid expansion of virtual learning that accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The bill would, as drafted in committee, stop traditional school districts from enrolling new virtual students who live outside district boundaries beginning July 1, 2025, and would require that a virtual charter be authorized only by the Idaho Charter School Commission beginning July 1, 2026. The draft also would require an authorizer to approve contracts between a virtual school and its educational service providers before execution, set a $400-per-pupil floor for certain charter facilities funding, and place limits on fees charged by the Charter School Commission.

Why it matters: Committee members and witnesses said the bill affects existing statewide virtual programs and tens of…