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Committee advances pilot to create accredited high school diploma program for adults, with $1.5M fiscal note
Summary
Sen. Lori Den Hartog sponsored a pilot program (SB 1093) to allow private providers to enter pay-for-performance contracts with the State Board of Education to award a regionally accredited high school diploma to adults 21 and older; the bill includes a $1.5 million appropriation for the pilot and was sent to the Senate floor with a due-pass.
State Sen. Lori Den Hartog introduced Senate Bill 1093, a pilot program to create a regionally accredited high school diploma pathway for Idaho residents aged 21 and older who lack a high school credential. The bill would allow private providers to contract with the State Board of Education on a pay-for-performance basis to recruit, educate and credential eligible adults.
Den Hartog told the committee Idaho has approximately 127,000 adults without a high school credential and said the pilot would help identify and serve that population. The pilot would be funded subject to a fiscal note requesting a $1.5 million appropriation; Den Hartog said the appropriation would support administration of the program and reimburse providers when adults earn credits or credentials. She noted the appropriation is finite and the legislature would decide on future funding after the pilot.
Sarah Betweiser, representing Graduation Alliance, testified in support and described national examples and outcomes from another state (Kansas) where participants experienced increased hourly wages and higher labor-market participation after completing similar programs. Betweiser said Graduation Alliance and similar private providers conduct outreach and marketing to locate adults who have dropped out of K—12 and that marketing costs are separate from the $1.5 million appropriation; she said providers often fund marketing independently and would invoice the State Board for completed outcomes.
Senators asked about overlap with existing GED and high-school-equivalency programs. Den Hartog and the witness said GED/equivalency pathways remain available and accepted for postsecondary admission, but proponents said an accredited diploma and attached workforce credentials can remove barriers to promotion in some employers and can affect military enlistment tiers.
The committee voted to send SB 1093 to the Senate floor with a due-pass recommendation.
