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Senate committee prints bill to let small districts hire trustees' spouses under conditions
Summary
A Senate Education Committee voted to print RS 32‑057, a bill that would allow small Idaho school districts (enrollment ≤400) to employ a trustee's spouse under limited conditions, including recusal requirements and a five‑year sunset.
Senator Ben Shippey introduced RS 32‑057 to the Senate Education Committee as a pilot allowing very small school districts to employ the spouse of a sitting school trustee while the trustee remains on the board.
The bill is limited to districts with fall enrollment of 400 students or fewer and “would not require the district to post the position for 60 days every year before they can rehire the teacher,” Shippey said. He described the measure as a response to recruitment and retention challenges in small, rural districts and said the provision would not apply to public charter schools.
“The intent of this legislation is, to pilot a flexible process by which a small school district, specifically those with a fall student enrollment of 400 or less, could employ the spouse of 1 of their trustees,” Shippey said during his presentation.
Shippey said board members would still be required to recuse themselves from “any conversations about discipline, pay, or other issues.” The draft includes a five‑year sunset clause so the Legislature can evaluate the pilot after a limited period, and the sponsor said the measure would affect roughly 40 school districts.
Senator Ward Engel King moved to print RS 32‑057 for a future hearing; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote. Committee members did not debate the bill further in the hearing; the committee staff said they will contact the sponsor to schedule a full hearing.
The measure was presented as a narrow, local solution designed to preserve contractual continuity for teachers or pupil‑service staff who are spouses of trustees in small districts. No fiscal note or additional implementation details were provided at the committee hearing.
Votes at a glance
- Motion: Print RS 32‑057 for a full committee hearing. Moved by Senator Ward Engel King; second not specified. Outcome: Approved by voice vote.
