JFAC advances multiple K-12 budget adjustments, approves supplements for special programs and youth assessments

The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee on Friday approved a series of fiscal-year budget adjustments for public schools and related education programs, including increases for services for deaf and hard-of-hearing students, funding to match federal vocational rehabilitation dollars, supplemental federal grant funding for student supports and a one-time supplement to expand youth assessment centers.

The committee approved funding increases and reallocations across multiple divisions after presentations from Legislative Services Office analysts and department staff. Jared Tetro, deputy division manager for budget and policy at the Legislative Services Office, told the committee many enacted bills have created an unusually large set of “green sheet” budget changes this year and that some items reflect balancing technical corrections already anticipated in agency budgets.

Why it matters: The votes affect how districts and state programs will staff schools, deliver special services and match federal grants. Several actions also reallocate existing dedicated or endowment distributions rather than add ongoing general-fund obligations, while some requests depend on future federal or legislative action.

Most significant actions approved by the committee include:

- $504,900 increase for Educational Services for the Deaf and the Blind to fund career-ladder equivalents, recruitment pay, an early childhood outreach administrator and a Region 4 consulting teacher. Representative Miller, who moved that motion, said, “these teachers, these instructors are hard to find” and urged support for recruiting and retaining them.

- $1,630,500 for the teachers division to cover population forecast adjustments and placement-related salary movement on the career ladder.

- A $9.5 million supplemental from federal grant funds for the student support division in public school support to cover Title I and Part B (IDEA) grant payments that spilled into the current year because districts reached an appropriation cap in 2024.

- A net across-the-board adjustment in the student support division that shifts certain general-fund dollars to dedicated endowment fund distributions and reduces overall general-fund appropriation by technical updates tied to enrollment and forecast adjustments.

- A $3,577,600 population-forecast increase for the Idaho Digital Learning Academy (IDLA) to reflect an anticipated enrollment rise; the committee also approved language limiting IDLA’s access to stabilization funds and lowering a per-enrollment tuition cap in statute.

- A $2.2 million one-time pilot for student transportation routing software under central services.

- Department of Education enhancements totaling a multi-source package (general, dedicated and federal funds) for items including a dispute-resolution specialist, a charter-school special-education specialist, reading-assessment work and a federally required data dashboard/report card. The committee attached reporting and data-sharing language to that action.

- A $33,601 supplemental from the school bus camera fund to implement statutory allowances established in House Bill 610 for bus stop camera programs.

- A $1,291,001 one-time Millennium Fund supplemental for youth assessment centers administered by the Department of Juvenile Corrections. The supplemental passed; broader Millennium Fund FY2026 funding recommendations considered later in the hearing failed to secure House approval.

- A $4.4 million one-time supplemental to the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation to cover a required state match to access $10 million in non‑cognizable federal funds and to cover already‑incurred client services that were ineligible for federal reimbursement; committee members described the action as necessary to pay bills and avoid federal finding or provider nonpayment while a federal forensic audit continues.

- A FY2026 request of $35,000 ongoing to hire sign‑language interpreter services for the Council for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing within Vocational Rehabilitation.

On process and conditions: committee members repeatedly emphasized that some increases are one-time, contingent on matching funds or subject to statutory verification (for example, program eligibility checks required under Idaho code before distribution of certain November payments). The committee also attached standard “conditions, limitations and restrictions” language to multiple appropriations and required monthly or periodic reporting for several programs, including the Department of Education’s data files to the Legislative Services Office.

Votes at a glance (selected actions and outcomes):

- Educational Services for the Deaf and the Blind: motion to add $504,900 total (general + dedicated) — passed (19 ayes, 0 nays, 1 absent/excused).

- Teachers division population/placement adjustment: add $1,630,500 (general fund) — passed (19 ayes, 0 nays, 1 absent/excused).

- Public school support supplemental (student support division): $9,500,000 (federal grant fund, one-time) — passed (18 ayes, 1 nay, 1 absent/excused).

- Student support division FY26 motion (net changes across federal/dedicated/general funds, including endowment adjustments): net increase reported of ~$7.5 million from mixed funds (committee motion) — passed (18 ayes, 0 nays, 1 absent/excused reported in roll call summary).

- IDLA population forecast increase: add $3,577,600 (general fund) — passed (18 ayes, 1 nay, 1 absent/excused).

- Central services: student transportation routing software pilot — add $2,200,000 (one-time general fund) — passed (18 ayes, 0 nays, 1 absent/excused).

- Department of Education package (enhancements, reading indicator, data dashboard/report card, reappropriation authority for up to $800,000 for office remodel): multi-source add (~$2.45M total with federal and dedicated funds) — passed (15 ayes, 4 nays, 1 absent/excused reported at final tally).

- School bus camera fund supplemental (FY2025): add $33,601 (one-time from bus camera fund) — passed (18 ayes, 1 nay, 1 absent/excused reported at final tally).

- Millennium Fund supplemental for youth assessment centers (FY2025): add $1,291,001 (one-time Millennium Income Fund) — passed (19 ayes, 1 nay reported at final tally).

- Millennium Fund FY2026 omnibus recommendations (broader package) — failed to secure a majority in the House; the original bundled motion did not pass the House and therefore did not advance in that form.

- Division of Vocational Rehabilitation FY2025 supplemental: add $4,400,000 (one-time general fund) to cover federal matching and prior ineligible client services — passed (19 ayes, 1 nay reported at final tally).

- Vocational Rehabilitation FY2026 interpreter services ongoing request: add $35,000 (general fund) — passed (28 ayes total reported across both houses in JFAC motion summary).

- Office of the Ombudsman (Office of Health and Social Services Ombudsman): committee voted to provide no additional appropriation for FY2026 in the motion forwarded (original motion to add no appropriation prevailed after a substitute failed) — motion forwarded with due-pass recommendation (majority in affirmative reported in roll-call summary).

What committee members said: LSO analyst Jared Tetro repeatedly framed changes as technical adjustments tied to enacted bills, enrollment forecasts and prior-year carryforward or endowment distributions. Representative Miller, who led the motion for the deaf/blind enhancements, said the state must “compete” nationally to recruit certified instructors for specialized classrooms.

Next steps: Passed motions will be incorporated into JFAC’s recommendations and reported to the full Legislature. Items that failed on the House floor may be reworked by sponsors or returned to a work group for retooling. Several appropriations include reporting or verification language to be completed before funds are distributed.

(See the Votes at a glance section above for the committee tallies on the most consequential items.)

Ending: The committee adjourned with remaining budget work scheduled for Monday morning; members noted some items that failed on one chamber’s floor could return after additional negotiation and that several approved items include one-time or conditional funding intended to be reconciled with future legislation or federal approvals.