Senate committee advances bill to tighten oversight of virtual schools, sends SB 1188 to 14th order

The Idaho Senate Education Committee voted to send Senate Bill 1188 to the 14th order for possible amendment after a contentious hearing that included parents, virtual‑school leaders and charter‑school advocates.

Senator Dave Lent, the bill’s floor presenter, told the panel the measure is intended to “define the lane” between traditional district-run virtual programs and statewide virtual charter providers and to clarify funding and oversight for virtual learning. “The intent is not to take away any of the learning opportunities that the students in our public system in Idaho currently have,” Lent said during his presentation.

Nut graf: Supporters and opponents agreed virtual learning has expanded since COVID and said policy changes are needed, but they disagreed on how to preserve parent choice and whether the Charter School Commission should gain more authority. Testimony included parents who said their children have thrived in Idaho Home Learning programs and charter‑school advocates who said the bill would increase state bureaucracy.

What the bill would do - Limit district-run virtual enrollment across district…