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Senate committee sends bill to allow school districts to convert schools or districts to charter status to the floor
Summary
The Senate Education Committee recommended a “do pass” for Senate Bill 10 97, which would let traditional public-school districts convert schools or an entire district into charter schools under a local board-approved plan; sponsor said conversion would be optional and subject to a plan approval timeline.
The Idaho Senate Education Committee voted to send Senate Bill 10 97 to the Senate floor with a due‑pass recommendation after a brief presentation and questions. The bill, sponsored on the floor by State Senator Janie Ward Engle King (District 18), would permit a traditional public school or an entire school district to convert to a charter configuration if the local board and required plan approvals are completed.
Senator Janie Ward Engle King described the proposal as an option for districts and schools that want “to think outside the box” and use some of the flexibility charter schools have to design specialized curricula, change school calendars and allocate funds differently. “It just allows a school district if they want to change a building or they could change if they — you know, we have some very small school districts — it might be just one building, but they could change to a charter school district,” Ward Engle King said.
The sponsor emphasized the measure is permissive, not mandatory: the bill would remove the language that previously limited conversion of an entire district, but would still require a locally approved plan and an implementation timeline. She said no action could begin immediately and that a plan would need approval before February of the following year.
Committee members asked about funding flows and how charter and traditional funding rules would be reconciled. Ward Engle King said existing code and authorizing practices provide a “roadmap” and that detailed funding implementation would be addressed in rulemaking and planning processes. She also said authorizers could remain the local school district and that charter performance certificates could be revised through negotiation.
After questions, the committee voted by voice to send the bill to the Senate floor with a due‑pass recommendation. The committee record shows a voice vote and the chair announced the motion carried.
