Committee backs pilot to help adults earn accredited high-school diplomas; pilot seeks $1.5M

Senator Lori Den Hartog said Senate Bill 1093 would create a pilot program to offer a regionally accredited high-school diploma and related workforce credentials to adults age 21 and older who lack a high-school credential. "Right now in Idaho we have approximately 127,000 adults who do not have a high school credential," Den Hartog told the committee, and the pilot would fund outreach and credentialing through outcome-based, pay-for-performance contracts with private providers.

Sarah Betweiser, representing Graduation Alliance, said private providers can find and enroll adults who have left school and that the pilot focuses on combining an accredited diploma with career and technical skills. "There are some barriers," Betweiser said, "a GED or a high school equivalency certificate can be a barrier to promotion in an organization. With the military, we know through research while you can enter service with a GED those are considered tier 2." She cited outcome data from a similar program in Kansas showing hourly wages rising on average from $15.32 to $18.73 and reported a lifetime estimated return on investment of about $600,000 per graduate.

Den Hartog said the pilot is subject to a fiscal note requesting a $1.5 million appropriation to the State Board of Education to administer the program and reimburse providers when participants earn credentials. She added that marketing and lead-generation by private providers is separate from the appropriation; Graduation Alliance testified that it covers marketing for its enrollments.

Committee members asked whether existing GED and equivalency programs already meet the need; Betweiser replied that existing pathways serve many individuals but that some employers and branches of the military treat an accredited diploma differently than a GED. After discussion, the committee voted to send SB 1093 to the Senate floor with a due pass recommendation.