Idaho Home Learning Academy director describes statewide growth, ESA use and special‑education challenges to House Education Committee

Terry Sorensen, executive director of Idaho Home Learning Academy, told the Idaho House Education Committee on a morning hearing that the statewide virtual public charter serves thousands of Idaho students and gives each parent an education savings account of $1,800 per student per year to buy curriculum and materials.

Sorensen told lawmakers Idaho Home Learning Academy (ILA) is authorized through Oneida School District, serves kindergarten through 12th grade, partners with three educational service providers and requires state testing and documented student work to meet accountability requirements. “Parents have a greater role in their students’ education,” Sorensen said. “Parents can choose supplemental resources like technology, hands‑on activities, manipulatives, books, tutoring.”

ILA’s model draws on contracts with private education service providers to deliver curriculum, field trips, testing coordination and to administer the ESAs, Sorensen said. She told the committee the program has grown substantially since its start and that the school’s enrollment was reported at roughly 7,200–7,925 students in recent counts. She said the academy has “over 600” special‑education students and several dozen special‑education teachers and administrators.

Why it matters: lawmakers pressed Sorensen on funding, accountability and special‑education obligations under federal law. Sorensen and Oneida School District Superintendent Abrams said IDEA (the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) and the state’s interpretation of child‑find and special‑education rules have shaped how the program must operate and the costs it faces. Sorensen identified a state statutory cap she said limits charter growth to 40 units (cited in testimony as “30‑3‑52‑7”) and said she would like that limit raised or removed so the school would not have to turn families away.

On funding and contractors: committee members asked how public funds flow. Sorensen said ILA receives the same state per‑unit funding as other schools, that Oneida employs certified teachers and administrators for the program, and that ILA contracts with three education service providers (Harmony Education, Braintree Learning and HomeEd360) who are paid under unit‑based contracts to supply program services. She said, by contract, the partners handle ESA administration, direct buys, field trips and testing coordination; she estimated partner contract costs at roughly $62,000 per K‑8 unit and $52,500 per high‑school unit (figures provided by Sorensen in committee answers). Committee members and staff described the aggregate partner payments as roughly $20 million annually based on the program’s size.

On student outcomes and testing: Sorensen said students are required to take state tests (IRI, ISAT and other screeners) and that ILA continues to administer engagement surveys even though the state no longer requires them. She acknowledged math proficiency as a persistent challenge for portions of ILA’s population and said “math is definitely our struggle,” calling it a focus for improvement. She also said many enrolled students come from traditional homeschool settings and that families vary in how much they engage with standardized testing.

On special education and federal requirements: Sorensen told the committee that compliance with IDEA and the state’s interpretation of child‑find and multi‑tiered systems of support has been a recurring operational constraint. Superintendent Abrams said Oneida and ILA have worked with the State Department of Education for several years and asked for consistent application of special‑education expectations across online providers. "The State Department Special Ed Department has given us lots of opportunities to grow in a way that they're not requiring of other schools that are doing the exact same thing," Abrams said, noting frustration with inconsistent enforcement.

Committee follow‑ups and clarifications: Representatives pressed for details on per‑unit definitions (state funding is allocated by grade band units; committee staff noted common unit sizes such as about 18.5 students for some high‑school units), the source and handling of federal special‑education funds (federal funds flow to the authorizing district, Oneida, which then works with ILA to allocate services), and whether ILA families are using state Empowering Parents grant funds (Sorensen said she did not know details of that program and had not driven families to apply).

Minutes approval: at the start of the meeting Representative Church moved to approve the committee minutes from Jan. 21, 2025; the motion carried on a voice vote.

Sorensen said she and Oneida remain available to answer follow‑up questions and provided a white paper and contact information to committee members. The hearing concluded with committee members indicating continued interest in the program’s growth cap, funding flows, special‑education compliance and comparative student outcomes.

Ending: Several representatives thanked Sorensen and Oneida staff for their time and said they would follow up on the data and statutory questions raised during the exchange.