JFAC approves State Board of Education and public‑school maintenance budgets and new student‑support language

The Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee approved the State Board of Education’s program maintenance budgets and the public school support program maintenance on Jan. 17, and adopted a dozen specific appropriation language sections tied to how public‑school dollars are distributed.

State Board of Education: The committee approved a program maintenance total of $1,099,940,000 for the Board and affiliated programs (colleges, universities, community colleges, agricultural research and extension, health education programs and others). The motion capped certain program FTPs at 534.97 while exempting agricultural research and extension, the colleges and universities, and post‑secondary career technical education from FTP caps, consistent with how those entities manage tuition‑ and fee‑driven revenues. Representative Manwaring moved the appropriation; the roll‑call vote was unanimous as recorded by clerks.

Public‑school support and student‑support division language: The committee approved maintenance appropriations that carry the current statutory distributions into the FY2026 base, with a number of clarifying and housekeeping sections. Key items adopted include: a $13.7 million professional development allocation for teachers (section tied to teachers’ division), the $6,359 instructional staff allocation carryover language (to ensure it continues to be distributed consistent with the career‑ladder/CEC approach), a requirement that the $110 million classroom‑technology appropriation be distributed to eligible districts and charters for classroom technology, and detailed distribution rules and reporting for tobacco/cigarette/lottery distributions, advanced opportunities, English proficiency, digital content, and other student‑support allocations. The committee consolidated “distributed” and “expended” definitions into a crosswalk used for multiple sections so that language for the newly consolidated student support division is consistent across sections.

Idaho Public Television correction: Committee staff identified a missing phrase in the Idaho Public Television language and the committee approved a corrective motion to clarify that positions and funds from Idaho Public Television’s miscellaneous revenue fund are continuously appropriated; that correction was adopted on a recorded vote.

Why it matters: The motions preserve statutory distributions and defined program uses that drive nearly all school funding flows — teacher compensation, discretionary per‑support‑unit dollars, classroom technology, and targeted grants. Committee members noted the consolidation of programs into a student‑support division and the crosswalk language is intended to reduce duplication in appropriation text and to make distributions clearer when bills are drafted.

Next steps: Staff will draft appropriation bill language reflecting the approved section numbers and the crosswalk; the committee scheduled a review once bills are drafted to correct technical drafting issues before floor introduction.