Idaho education budget hearing spotlights special‑education staffing, new assessment funding and career‑ready grant spending

The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee on Oct. 24 heard the Idaho State Department of Education outline its 2026 budget requests, including staffing for special‑education dispute resolution, a $2.7 million one‑time request to transition the statewide ISAT assessment platform, and continued oversight of the Career Ready Students grant program.

Budget analyst Jared Tetro, Deputy Division Manager, Budget and Policy Analysis Division, Legislative Services Office, told the committee the department’s current organization includes about 126.5 authorized full‑time equivalents and identified several dedicated funds that support program activity. He noted the driver training fund’s free fund balance grew from about $3.8 million in 2022 to an estimated $7.4 million in 2026. “If you look at the funds in rows a through k you’ll see fairly consistent numbers in each row but I’m just going to highlight just a couple,” Tetro said.

The department requested seven ongoing staffing enhancements for 2026, including a dispute resolution specialist intended to handle special‑education mediations and hearings, a charter school special‑education specialist, and a second Indian education coordinator. Superintendent Debbie Critchfield said the department has seen steep increases in parents seeking formal dispute resolution: “We’ve had a 65% increase in requests for mediation, 77% increase in just general complaints and a … 1,200%…