Bill Analyses and Ratings

Rating: -1

Bill Summary:

House Bill 251 appropriates over $3.27 billion to Idaho’s Public Schools Educational Support Program for fiscal year 2026. It funds a wide range of divisions including Teachers, Student Support, Central Services, the Idaho Digital Learning Academy (IDLA), and Educational Services for the Deaf and Blind. Major components include:

• $1.36 billion for teacher compensation and professional development
• $1.67 billion for student support, including administrators, operations, and children’s programs
• Targeted funds for classroom technology, learning management systems, and student assessments
• Dedicated funding for literacy, math initiatives, and English language learner (ELL) programs
• Mandated reporting and data collection from school districts on performance, insurance costs, and curriculum effectiveness
• $251 million in federal grants, plus funding transfers to the Idaho State Police and Commission on Hispanic Affairs

Reason for –1 Rating:

While the bill contains some elements that align with the Idaho Republican Party’s education platform—such as support for school choice tools like IDLA and Advanced Opportunities—it ultimately fails the test of fiscal conservatism, limited government, and educational independence. Specific concerns include:

• Massive spending increases without offsetting cuts, violating the platform’s call to limit government growth
• Expanded central control, with the State Department of Education directing usage of funds, tracking compliance, and managing curriculum systems
• No guardrails against ideological content (e.g., DEI/CRT), despite significant investment in digital curriculum—directly clashing with the platform’s opposition to social justice indoctrination
• Heavy reliance on federal grant money, opening Idaho schools to outside mandates contrary to the platform’s sovereignty and nullification principles

Even when evaluated solely through the lens of education policy, the bill fails to meet core principles of local control, fiscal restraint, and protection from progressive ideological influence, justifying a negative score.