Bill Analyses and Ratings

Rating: –1

Bill Summary:

House Bill 443 appropriates a total of $5,360,000 to the Office of the State Board of Education (OSBE) for Fiscal Year 2026 and $20,000 for Fiscal Year 2025. The bill allocates $5 million for Public-Private Workforce Capacity Grants, $219,200 for IT systems and data management, $121,500 for school safety and security initiatives, and $20,000 for general administration. It also adds one new full-time equivalent position. The legislation includes requirements for grant matching from private entities, oversight reporting on workforce program outcomes, and the development of a performance-based higher education funding model to replace the current enrollment-based system.

Additional provisions direct the OSBE to submit a report on student transcript mobility and authorize the reappropriation of unused federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). The bill includes an emergency clause and takes effect July 1, 2025.

Reason for Rating:

While H0443 includes language about performance-based reform and private-sector involvement, it ultimately expands the authority and spending of the Office of the State Board of Education without sufficient guarantees of structural downsizing or long-term cost control. The creation of a new full-time government position, use of federal ARPA funds, and continuation of centralized grant management all reflect growth in state bureaucracy. Additionally, the bill prescribes statewide education policy changes from the top down, bypassing local governance and increasing administrative complexity. These elements conflict with the Idaho Republican Party Platform’s commitment to limited government, local control, and restrained use of taxpayer funds. For these reasons, H0443 is rated –1.