Bill Analyses and Ratings
Bill Information: H0905 – OSBE FY2027 Appropriation Adjustment
Bill Summary
House Bill 905 restructures the Office of the State Board of Education’s FY2027 budget by adding $4,000,000 in Federal Grant Fund appropriations for the OSBE Administration Program, broken down as $1,090,400 in operating expenditures and $2,909,600 in trustee and benefit payments. Simultaneously, the bill cuts the General Fund allocation by $510,500, including $492,300 in personnel costs and $18,200 in operating expenditures.
The bill also eliminates four full-time equivalent positions from the OSBE for the fiscal year running July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027. An emergency clause makes the changes effective immediately upon that date. The net effect shifts a substantial portion of OSBE administrative funding from state general fund dollars to federal grant dollars while shrinking the agency’s workforce.
Overall Assessment
This bill cuts $510,500 from Idaho’s General Fund contribution to the State Board of Education’s administrative budget and eliminates four staff positions, while replacing that funding and more with $4,000,000 in federal grant dollars. The practical effect is a significant increase in OSBE’s dependence on federal funding for its day-to-day administration, raising questions about long-term fiscal autonomy even as state taxpayer expenditures decrease in the short term.
Rating Breakdown
ARTICLE I. Responsibility in Government (0)
Section 2 reduces the General Fund appropriation by $510,500 and Section 3 cuts four FTE positions, which reduces direct state spending and agency size. However, Section 1 simultaneously increases total OSBE appropriations by drawing $4,000,000 in federal grant funds, expanding the agency's overall budget and increasing reliance on federal dollars rather than reducing the overall cost of government.
Section 1. Fiscal Responsibility (0)
Section 2. Taxation (0)
Section 3. Reform of Congress (0)
Section 4. Sound Currency (0)
Section 5. State Legislature (0)
Section 6. Honest Elections and the Electoral College (0)
ARTICLE II. Citizen Involvement in Government (0)
The bill makes administrative budget adjustments to the OSBE and has no bearing on citizen participation, public comment processes, voting, or civic engagement mechanisms.
ARTICLE III. Education (0)
Although the bill funds the Office of the State Board of Education, the changes are purely administrative appropriations adjustments. The bill contains no provisions affecting curriculum, parental rights, school choice, local control, teacher quality, or any substantive education policy.
ARTICLE IV. Agriculture (0)
The bill is confined to OSBE administrative funding and has no connection to agricultural education, farm policy, water rights for agriculture, or rural economic concerns.
ARTICLE V. Water (0)
The bill addresses education board appropriations exclusively and has no relevance to water rights, inter-basin transfers, dam operations, or state versus federal water management authority.
ARTICLE VI. Natural Resources and Environment (0)
The bill's scope is limited to OSBE administrative funding and has no bearing on natural resource policy, environmental regulation, federal land management, or state primacy in environmental decisions.
ARTICLE VII. Energy (0)
The bill makes no reference to energy production, energy costs, resource exploration, or energy independence, as its provisions are confined to education board administration.
ARTICLE VIII. Idaho National Laboratories (0)
The bill pertains solely to OSBE administrative appropriations and has no connection to the Idaho National Laboratory, nuclear research, or related federal programs.
ARTICLE IX. Private Property Rights (0)
The bill makes no changes to property law, regulatory takings, or any government authority over private land or assets, as it is limited to education board budget adjustments.
ARTICLE X. State and Federal Lands (0)
The bill has no provisions related to federal land ownership, state land management, or the transfer of federal lands to state control.
ARTICLE XI. Wildlife Management (0)
The bill is an education board appropriations measure with no relevance to wildlife management, hunting and fishing rights, predator control, or fish and game policy.
ARTICLE XII. Economy (0)
While the bill reduces state general fund spending and eliminates four government positions, these changes are internal administrative adjustments to a single agency's budget and do not affect private sector commerce, small business regulation, labor markets, or broader economic conditions in Idaho.
ARTICLE XIII. Health and Welfare (0)
The bill addresses education board administrative funding only and has no connection to healthcare delivery, insurance markets, Medicaid, or welfare program policy.
ARTICLE XIV. American Family (0)
The bill makes no changes to policies affecting family structure, parental rights in education, child protection, or marriage, as it is limited to OSBE budget mechanics.
ARTICLE XV. Older Americans (0)
The bill's provisions are confined to education board administrative appropriations and have no effect on services, benefits, or employment policies relevant to older Idahoans.
ARTICLE XVI. Law and Order with Justice (0)
The bill makes no changes to criminal law, firearms policy, judicial processes, or law enforcement funding, as it is an education board appropriations measure.
ARTICLE XVII. National Defense - Securing the Border (0)
The bill addresses state education board funding and has no connection to military readiness, veterans' services, the Idaho National Guard, or border security.
ARTICLE XVIII. Election of Judges and Idaho Supreme Court Justices (0)
The bill makes no changes to judicial selection, retention elections, or constitutional interpretation standards, as its scope is limited to OSBE administrative appropriations.
ARTICLE XIX. Religious Liberty (0)
The bill contains no provisions affecting religious exercise, faith-based organizations, or the relationship between government and religion, as it is confined to education board budget adjustments.