Idaho Home Learning Academy outlines virtual public-school model, urges lifting cap on charter growth

Terry Sorensen, executive director of the Idaho Home Learning Academy (IHLA), presented the program’s K–12 virtual model to the Senate Education Committee and urged lawmakers to amend a statutory cap she said limits charter growth.

“Idaho Home Learning Academy is part of an educational choice movement in Idaho that gives parents choice within the public school system,” Sorensen told the committee. She described IHLA as a statewide public virtual school authorized under Oneida School District that serves students in kindergarten through 12th grade and partners with educational-service providers to deliver curriculum, teacher support and a per-student educational savings account.

Sorensen said IHLA provides a full public-school package — certified teachers and administrators, counselors, interventionists, special-education services, 504, English-learner supports and gifted-and-talented programs — and that parents act as “parent learning coaches” working with certified teachers. IHLA requires students to take state-required assessments (IRI, ISAT and the dyslexia screener) and uses teacher-graded electronic portfolios and standards-based rubrics to monitor mastery.

Key program and finance details presented to the committee:

- IHLA provides parents an $1,800-per-student-per-year educational savings account that can be used via direct-purchase vendors or by reimbursement for approved receipts, Sorensen said. - Sorensen said IHLA serves roughly 7,925–8,000 students and that the program runs three educational-service providers (named in committee as Harmony Education, Braintree Educational Services and HomeEd360). She said the district contracts with those providers and the providers administer direct-buy accounts and reimbursements. - IHLA’s superintendent and Sorensen gave approximate financial figures: about $21,000,000 of state funding flows to the educational-service providers under contract and IHLA’s overall budget was described as approximately $55,000,000 for the year. Sorensen said roughly $14,000,000 of the provider funds returned to families for ESA purchases (numbers provided in committee discussion and identified as approximate). - Sorensen said IHLA converted to charter status this year and reported it had not received facilities funding (the standard $400 per-student charter facility allocation) at the time of testimony.

Sorensen asked the Legislature to amend the statute she cited as “statute 335,207,” which she described as capping charter growth to 40 units and limiting the number of new students IHLA can enroll each year. She asked lawmakers to consider increasing that cap or switching to a percentage-based growth restriction so IHLA would not be forced to turn away interested families.

Committee members questioned IHLA officials on residency verification, use of ESA funds, overlap with the Empowering Parents program and academic outcomes. Sorensen said IHLA uses PowerSchool to verify enrollment and requires proof of residency dated within the previous two months. On double-reimbursement concerns, Sorensen said IHLA tracks purchases made through its direct-buy system and reimbursement process, but committee members noted the committee does not have a full cross-check against Empowering Parents grant reimbursements; Senator Nichols clarified that Empowering Parents reimbursements, as recently revised, currently cover only home internet service and otherwise use vendor-based purchasing.

On academic outcomes, senators presented state ISAT proficiency numbers and asked how IHLA measures mastery. Sorensen described IHLA as a mastery-based program that uses standards-aligned rubrics, weekly or twice-monthly teacher check-ins and an electronic portfolio system. She acknowledged lower math proficiency on ISAT scores for some grade cohorts and said many students joining IHLA were previously schooled outside a standards-aligned setting; she said outcomes improve for students who remain in the program over time.

Superintendent Abrams of Oneida School District clarified that IHLA is not currently a party to the district’s lawsuit with the state; the district is challenging a retroactive change in law tied to bond-equalization funding (House Bill 292) that the superintendent said retroactively reduced funds the district expected. Abrams said the district’s suit seeks funds it believes it was entitled to prior to the retroactive change.

Committee members asked staff to provide a more detailed budget breakdown to the committee; IHLA offered to follow up with exact budget numbers and contacts for further questions.