Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Digital Learning Funding topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Idaho Digital Learning Academy sees enrollment growth; board to consider cutting $75 course fee
Summary
IDLA enrollment topped budget estimates and its funding is now tied to per‑course enrollments; the academy plans to propose reducing its $75 course fee to $40 next year, and lawmakers were briefed on the statutory change that ties IDLA funding to student enrollments.
The Joint Finance‑Appropriations Committee on March 4 heard that the Idaho Digital Learning Academy (IDLA) is now funded by per‑course enrollments and is experiencing above‑budget growth, pushing analysts to recommend an appropriations adjustment if enrollments remain higher than initially estimated.
Jared Tetrault of the Legislative Services Office said IDLA was budgeted for 49,680 enrollments at $430 per enrollment under the funding formula established by House Bill 452, and that the program’s actual enrollments were running closer to 52,000 at the time of the hearing. "The appropriation is now set based on enrollments," Tetrault said; he added that an increase to 53,000 enrollments would trigger an estimated $1.4 million withdrawal to match the statutory distribution.
Jeff Simmons, superintendent for IDLA, told the committee the academy has seen particular growth in driver’s‑education enrollments and in a K–5 elementary literacy program that pairs certified elementary teachers with students to accelerate reading gains. Simmons said IDLA’s enrollment growth was about 9% in the current year and the academy expects to meet its funding needs through the enrollment‑based appropriation.
IDLA reported 101 full‑time positions and 444 part‑time teachers in materials the committee received. Fiscal reporting in the hearing materials showed IDLA entered FY24 with roughly $5 million in cash and ended FY24 with about $8.5 million after higher‑than‑expected enrollments and expenditures.
Simmons told lawmakers the academy is pursuing several cost‑reduction steps and asked the board to consider lowering the statutory, committee‑capped course fee. "We are proposing a $40 course fee, which is a $35 reduction for next year," he said, adding the change would reduce a potential barrier to participation while preserving the program’s financial stability.
Tetrault noted a pending technical change tied to a separate bill (House Bill 251) that would raise the per‑course funding from $430 to $445 if enacted; the committee would need to amend the appropriation if it sets a different enrollment estimate.
IDLA also described efforts to lower materials costs for students by using open educational resources in some college‑level courses and said it is investing in AI tools for instruction and parent engagement tools to support student learning.
Ending: Committee analysts and IDLA agreed to monitor fall‑enrollment reporting and to adjust appropriations if the final enrollment counts require additional funding under the statutory per‑enrollment formula.
