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S 1096

EDUCATION – Amends existing law to revise provisions regarding student funding and to provide for weighted per-student funding.

68th Legislature, 1st Regular Session (2025)

Shifts Idaho discretionary funding to a weighted per-student model that follows high-need students (ELL, low-income, at-risk, disabled) with no net General Fund increase.

Read First Time, Held at Desk
#education #funds #schoolsandschooldistricts #students
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Bill Summary · S 1096

Summary — S 1096 (Education: weighted per-student funding)

Status: Read First Time; Held at Desk. Introduced March 24, 2025. (Document set includes multiple versions and amendments; summary focuses on the education bill as reflected in the Idaho engrossed/committee-amended text and the accompanying fiscal note.)

Purpose / Intent

S 1096 revises Idaho’s public school funding law to move discretionary funding to a student-centered, weighted per-student distribution. The goal is to allocate funding according to verified student characteristics (e.g., disability status, English learner status, economic disadvantage, at‑risk indicators) and to recognize higher costs associated with different student needs. A fiscal note attached to the bill states it does not change the overall general fund appropriation — the bill reallocates existing funds rather than increasing total state spending.

Key provisions and changes

  • Amends multiple sections of Title 33, Idaho Code (notably 33-1001, 33-1002, 33-1009, 33-1018, 33-1614, 33-1632, 33-5207) to implement the funding changes and related technical corrections.
  • Definitions: Expands and clarifies statutory definitions used for funding calculations, including “economically disadvantaged student,” “English language learner (ELL),” “at‑risk student,” “average daily attendance (ADA),” “instructional staff,” and “measurable student achievement.”
  • Weighted per-student funding: Discretionary funding will “follow the student” and be weighted based on verified characteristics, so students with higher needs receive proportionally greater funding allocations.
  • Small‑district (small‑school) adjustment (amendment): For districts or charter schools with average daily attendance less than 1,200 (excluding virtual-only programs), a sliding small‑district factor is applied. The amendment changed a prior multiplier (1.5) to 1.75 and prescribes a formula: funding = (1 − (ADA ÷ 1,200)) × base per‑student amount (applies to eligible students in those districts).
  • Charter schools: Revises how public charter schools receive financial support under the new per‑student framework.
  • Payment and fund references: Updates statutory references and procedures for payments from the Public School Income Fund and other funding mechanics to align with the new distribution model.
  • Emergency clause and effective date: The engrossed bill declares an emergency and provides an effective date (text indicates immediate effect upon passage).

Who is affected

  • Students: Especially those identified as ELL, economically disadvantaged, at‑risk, or students with disabilities — they would be assigned weights that increase per-student funding.
  • School districts and public charter schools: Funding allocations and budget planning would change as discretionary funds are redistributed according to student weights and ADA-based small-district adjustments.
  • Idaho State Department of Education: Responsible for implementation rules, verification of student characteristics, and payment/administering changes.
  • Local educators and administrators: May see changes in resource availability and reporting/verification requirements.

Fiscal and procedural notes

  • Fiscal: The bill’s fiscal note asserts no change to the overall general fund appropriation; it reallocates existing discretionary dollars to a weighted per‑student model.
  • Legislative status and actions (high level): The bill was reported and amended by the Education Committee (engrossed as amended), contains multiple committee and floor actions through early 2025, and includes at least one substantive amendment (small‑district formula and weight change). The record also contains unrelated texts (a separate Massachusetts bill regarding ICE detainers) and mixed sponsor lists; readers should consult the official Idaho legislative docket for the authoritative bill text and current status.

If you’d like, I can:
- Extract the bill’s exact weight table (if provided in a full text) or
- Produce a one‑page explainer on how the weighted funding formula would affect a sample district’s budget.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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