Idaho committee advances bill to move high-school graduation requirements from rules into statute; debate over process and content continues

Representative Wendy Horman, sponsor of House Bill 298, told the House Committee on Education on Feb. 27 that the bill "takes graduation requirements out of rule and moves them into code," a change she said would raise legislative visibility and require legislative action for major future changes.

The bill would codify existing graduation requirements currently handled in State Board of Education rule and would make several notable changes: it would split a two-credit government requirement into one credit of government and one credit in Western civilization; it would allow students who serve as a page in the Idaho Legislature to count that service toward the government graduation requirement; it would move certain State Board rule language into statute about computer science credits and teacher endorsements (a 30-hour endorsement pathway for math and science teachers to teach computer science); and it would define dual credit in the graduation context as "coursework in which an Idaho public high school student" (text in the RS), reflecting language in the draft bill.

Why it matters: Supporters said moving requirements into statute increases transparency and gives elected representatives, and by extension the public, clearer oversight. Representative Horman, R-Bonneville County, said the bill was prompted in part by concerns…