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Committee advances proposal to shift K‑12 discretionary dollars to weighted per‑student formula
Summary
Senate Bill 10 96 would begin converting several discretionary K‑12 line items into a weighted per‑student funding model that adds weights for economically disadvantaged students, English learners, special education, small schools, gifted students and at‑risk alternative school students; the committee forwarded the bill with a due‑pass vote.
The Senate Education Committee voted to send Senate Bill 10 96 to the Senate floor with a due‑pass recommendation after sponsor Senator Woodward described a multi‑year plan to convert portions of the K‑12 public school budget into a weighted per‑student discretionary distribution.
"What we'd like to do is distribute discretionary funds based on student attributes," Senator Woodward said, describing a definition section that adds weights for economically disadvantaged students, English language learners, special education students, small schools, gifted and talented students and at‑risk students in alternative settings. He said the bill moves a portion of existing statutory program dollars into a discretionary pool that would be distributed using those weights.
Under the proposal, the state would calculate a base amount per student and then add weight multipliers for identified characteristics; districts or charter schools with students who have more than one attribute would see stacked weights, Senator Woodward explained. The bill includes a two‑year hold‑harmless provision for fiscal 2026 and 2027 so local education agencies (LEAs) do not receive less funding immediately when the new distribution is applied.
Multiple school leaders and education groups testified in favor of the bill. Brian Darcy, administrator of Idaho Educational Services for the Deaf and Blind, told the committee that many students with sensory impairments require expensive assistive technology and specialized staff and that a weighted approach could help level funding across districts. Other supporters included the Idaho School Boards Association, Idaho Association of School Administrators and education advocacy organizations.
Several rural superintendents and board members raised concerns about potential funding "cliffs" after the two‑year hold‑harmless period. Cambridge School District Superintendent Anthony Butler said his district — like many small rural districts — could face a drop in discretionary dollars he estimated at roughly $70,000, calling that reduction a substantial challenge for a district that operates on thin margins.
Senator Woodward said the bill intentionally avoids collapsing some line items (for example, the sponsor removed a proposal to move a math and science requirement) to reduce the risk of large losses for districts; he said the change focuses initially on the discretionary portion of the budget (about 13% of the total) and that the Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee would determine total dollar amounts. Department financial staff explained that some line‑item money would be moved into the discretionary pool and that budget requests to fund the proposal would proceed through the normal appropriation process.
After public testimony and questions, the committee voted by voice to send the bill to the Senate floor with a due‑pass recommendation.
Votes at a glance: The committee approved the motion to send Senate Bill 10 96 to the Senate floor with a due‑pass recommendation (voice vote; no roll‑call tally recorded in the transcript).
