Public education in Idaho

in Idaho

Fiscal Budgets Idaho state budget and finances Tax policy in Idaho Finance Financial regulation in Idaho Pensions Public pensions in Idaho Pension health in Idaho Civil liberties Affirmative action in Idaho Campaign finance requirements in Idaho Campaign finance requirements for Idaho ballot measures Nonprofit regulation in Idaho Education Charter schools in Idaho Higher education in Idaho Public education in Idaho School choice in Idaho Elections Ballot access Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Idaho Ballot access requirements for political parties in Idaho Political parties in Idaho Ballot access requirements for presidential candidates in Idaho Redistricting in Idaho Voting in Idaho Energy and Environment Energy policy in Idaho Fracking in Idaho Oil and gas extraction on federal land in Idaho Endangered species in Idaho Environmental policy in Idaho Healthcare Healthcare policy in Idaho Medicaid spending in Idaho Effect of the Affordable Care Act in Idaho Immigration Immigration in Idaho

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K-12 education in Idaho

Education facts

State superintendent: Sherri Ybarra

Number of students: 284,834

Number of teachers: 14,563

Teacher/pupil ratio: 1:20

Number of school districts: 90

Number of schools: 719

Graduation rate: N/A

Per-pupil spending: $6,791

See also

Idaho State Department of Education • List of school districts in Idaho • Idaho • School boards portal

Public education in the United States Public education in Idaho Glossary of education terms

Note: The statistics on this page are mainly from government sources, including the U.S. Census Bureau and the National Center for Education Statistics. Figures given were the most recent as of June 2015.

The Idaho public school system (prekindergarten through grade 12) operates within districts governed by locally elected school boards and superintendents. In 2013 Idaho had 284,834 students enrolled in a total of 719 schools in 149 school districts. There were 14,563 teachers in the public schools, or roughly one teacher for every 20 students, compared to the national average of 1:16. There was roughly one administrator for every 448 students, compared to the national average of one administrator for every 295 students. On average Idaho spent $6,791 per pupil in 2013, which ranked it 50th highest in the nation.^[1][2][3]

Common Core[edit]

Common Core, or the Common Core State Standards Initiative, is an American education initiative that outlines quantifiable benchmarks in English and mathematics at each grade level from kindergarten through high school. Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna and Governor Butch Otter adopted these standards on January 24, 2011. The standards were fully implemented during the 2013-2014 school year.^[4]

In March 2015 the Idaho State Senate Education Committee voted to hold Resolution 105 in committee. The resolution sought to change Common Core standards to more state-specific standards. As of July 2015, Resolution 105 had not progressed further in the Idaho legislature.^[5]

General information[edit]

See also: General comparison table for education statistics in the 50 states and Education spending per pupil in all 50 states

The following chart shows how Idaho compared to three neighboring states with respect to the number of students, schools, teachers per pupil and administrators per pupil for the 2012-2013 school year. The chart also displays that information at the national level. At $6,791, Idaho had the lowest spending per pupil of any of its neighboring states.

Further comparisons between these states with respect to performance and financial information are given in other sections of this page.

Schools by type[edit]

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Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • Nevada • New Hampshire • New Jersey • New Mexico • New York • North Carolina • North Dakota • Ohio • Oklahoma • Oregon • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • Utah • Vermont • Virginia • Washington • West Virginia • Wisconsin • Wyoming
School board elections portal Glossary of education terms School choice on the ballot Education on the ballot

See also: Number of schools by school type in the United States

Of the 98,454 schools in the United States, 89,031 were classified as regular schools. After regular schools, magnet schools and charter schools were the most prevalent non-traditional schools in the country, at 6,079 and 5,986, respectively.

The table below breaks down each of the different types of schools in Idaho and nearby states. Also listed are the numbers of schools in each state that are classified as "Title I" schools. These are public schools that have been specially targeted to correct achievement gaps in public schools.^[6]

In Idaho, there were 629 regular schools as of 2013. Alternative schools were the second most prevalent type of school in the state, with 69 schools classified as such.

Demographics[edit]

See also: Demographic information for all students in all 50 states

The following table displays the ethnic distribution of students in Idaho as reported in the National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data for 2012-2013.^[7]

During the 2012-2013 school year, just over half of all students in K-12 public schools nationwide were white. About a quarter of the students in the country were Hispanic, with black students making up about 16 percent of the student population.

In Idaho, the majority of students were white. White students totaled 221,283, which was about 77.7 percent of the student population in the state. There were 47,113 black students in Idaho, which accounted for about 16.5 percent of the student population.

Enrollments by region type[edit]

See also: Student distribution by region type in the United States

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, about 30 percent of all public school students in the country attended city schools during the 2012-2013 school year. About 40 percent attended suburban schools. Approximately 11.5 percent of all students attended schools in towns, while about 18.7 percent attended rural schools.^[8]

A plurality of students in Idaho attended suburban schools during the 2012-2013 school year. However, student distribution among each region type was fairly equal. Approximately 51.2 percent of the state's students attended city or suburban schools, compared to the approximately 48.8 percent who attended rural or town schools.

Academic performance[edit]

Education terms
For more information on education policy terms, see this article.
School board elections portal Glossary of education terms School choice on the ballot Education on the ballot

NAEP scores[edit]

See also: NAEP scores by state

The National Center for Education Statistics provides state-by-state data on student achievement levels in mathematics and reading in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The chart below presents the percentage of fourth and eighth grade students that scored at or above proficient in reading and math during school year 2012-2013. Compared to three neighboring states (Montana, Oregon and Washington), a smaller percentage of Idaho's students were considered at or above proficient in math and reading in fourth grade.^[9]

Graduation, ACT and SAT scores[edit]

See also: Graduation rates by groups in state and ACT and SAT scores in the United States

The following table shows the graduation rates and average composite ACT and SAT scores for Idaho and surrounding states during the 2012-2013 school year. All statements made in this section refer to that school year.^[9][10][11]

In the United States, public schools reported graduation rates that averaged to about 81.4 percent. About 54 percent of all students in the country took the ACT, while 50 percent reported taking the SAT. The average national composite scores for those tests were 20.9 out of a possible 36 for the ACT, and 1498 out of a possible 2400 for the SAT.^[12]

Idaho schools did not report a regulatory adjusted cohort graduation rate during the 2012-2013 school year.

In Idaho, more students took the SAT than the ACT in 2013, earning an average SAT score of 1364.

Dropout rate[edit]

See also: Public high school dropout rates by state for a full comparison of dropout rates by group in all states

The high school event dropout rate indicates the proportion of students who were enrolled at some time during the school year and were expected to be enrolled in grades nine through 12 in the following school year but were not enrolled by October 1 of the following school year. Students who have graduated, transferred to another school, died, moved to another country, or who are out of school due to illness are not considered dropouts. The average public high school event dropout rate for the United States remained constant at 3.3 percent for both school year 2010–2011 and school year 2011–2012. The event dropout rate for Idaho was lower than the national average at 1.6 percent in the 2010-2011 school year, and 1.9 percent in the 2011-2012 school year.^[13]

Educational choice options[edit]

See also: School choice in Idaho

As of June 2015, school choice options in Idaho included charter schools, homeschooling, online learning, private schools and inter-district and intra-district public school open enrollment policies.

Developments[edit]

Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue (2020)[edit]

Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue
Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue
Media coverage and commentary
U.S. Supreme Court 2019-2020 term
Blaine Amendment (U.S. Constitution)
Blaine amendments in state constitutions
School choice on the ballot
Education on the ballot

See also: Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue

On June 30, 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court decided Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, which concerned whether the government can exclude religious institutions from student-aid programs. The case related to Article X, Section 6 of the Montana Constitution, also known as Montana’s Blaine Amendment.^[14]

In its 5-4 opinion, the court held that the application of Article X, Section 6 violated the free exercise clause of the U.S. Constitution. The majority held Article X, Section 6 barred religious schools and parents who wished to send their children to those schools from receiving public benefits because of the religious character of the school.^[15]

The case addressed the tension between the free exercise and Establishment clauses of the U.S. Constitution—where one guarantees the right of individuals' free exercise of religion and the other guarantees that the state won't establish a religion—and the intersections of state constitutions with state law and with the U.S. Constitution.

Idaho is one of the states with a Blaine Amendment.

Education funding and expenditures[edit]

See also: Idaho state budget and finances

Breakdown of expenditures by function in fiscal year 2013
Source: National Association of State Budget Officers

According to the National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO), states spent an average of 19.8 percent of their total budgets on elementary and secondary education during fiscal year 2013. In addition, the United States Census Bureau found that approximately 45.6 percent of the country's school system revenue came from state sources, while about 45.3 percent came from local sources. The remaining portion of school system revenue came from federal sources.^[16][17]

Idaho spent approximately 24.2 percent of its budget on elementary and secondary education during fiscal year 2013. The state school systems' revenue came primarily from state funds. Idaho spent a greater percentage of its total budget on education than any of its neighboring states.

Revenue breakdowns[edit]

See also: Public school system revenues in the U.S. to compare all states.

According to the United States Census Bureau, public school system revenues totaled approximately $598 billion in fiscal year 2013.^[17]

In Idaho, the primary source of school system revenue was state funding, at $1.3 billion. Idaho's total revenue was the second lowest when compared to its neighboring states.

Expenditure breakdowns[edit]

See also: Public school system expenditures in the United States

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, public school system expenditures totaled approximately $602 billion in fiscal year 2012.^[18] Public education expenditures in Idaho totaled approximately $2.1 billion in fiscal year 2012. Idaho's total expenditures were the second lowest when compared to its neighboring states.

Personnel salaries[edit]

See also: Public school teacher salaries in the United States

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the average national salary for classroom teachers in public elementary and secondary schools declined by 1.3 percent from the 1999-2000 school year to the 2012-2013 school year. During the same period in Idaho, the average salary increased by 2.4 percent.^[20]

Organizations[edit]

State agencies[edit]

The Idaho State Department of Education oversees and manages public schools for students from kindergarten to 12th grade in Idaho. The department has nine education divisions: Assessment and Accountability Division, Child Nutrition, Content, Elementary and Secondary Education Act, School Choice, Statewide System of Support, Student Engagement and Postsecondary Readiness, Special Education and Teacher Certification. As of June 2015, Sherri Ybarra was first sworn in as the Superintendent of Public Instruction in 2015.^[21][22]

The mission statement of the Idaho State Department of Education reads:^[23]

The Idaho State Board of Education oversees and manages higher education in Idaho.^[21]

Unions[edit]

In 2012, the Fordham Institute and Education Reform Now assessed the power and influence of state teacher unions in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Their rankings were based on 37 different variables in five broad areas: resources and membership, involvement in politics, scope of bargaining, state policies and perceived influence. Idaho ranked 36th overall for union power and influence, or "weak", which was in the fourth tier of five.^[25]

The main union related to the Idaho school system is the Idaho Education Association (IEA), an affiliate of the National Education Association (NEA). IEA is the largest education association in the state.

List of local Idaho school unions:^[26]

• Idaho Education Association
• Pocatello Education Association
• Boise Education Association
• Meridian Education Association
• Blackfoot Education Association
• Bonneville Education Association

Collective bargaining and tenure[edit]

The Idaho State Legislature passed Senate Bill 1108, which limited teachers' collective bargaining rights to salary and benefits.^[27] It removed issues such as class sizes, teacher workload and promotions from collective bargaining, and it permitted collective bargaining only if the union could prove it represented more than 50 percent of employees.^[27][28] It eliminated tenure for new teachers, with new educators instead being offered one- or two-year contracts following a three-year probationary period.^[29]

The entire overhaul plan eliminated 770 teaching positions but used $250 million to raise pay for teachers. Governor Butch Otter supported the measures.^[30]

The Idaho Education Association warned the plan would drastically cut the ability of unions to bargain.^[30][31] Hundreds of teachers protested the bills on February 21, 2011.^[28]

Taxpayer-funded lobbying[edit]

See also: Idaho government sector lobbying

The main education government sector lobbying organization is the Idaho School Boards Association.

Transparency[edit]

In March 2010, the Idaho State Senate and Idaho House of Representatives approved a bill that required school districts with more than 300 students to publish their school spending data.^[32] The Idaho State Department of Education does list information regarding the state's academic performance at the state, district and school levels.

Studies and reports[edit]

Quality Counts 2014[edit]

See also: Education Week survey

Education Week, a publication that reports on many education issues throughout the country, began using an evaluation system in 1997 to grade each state on various elements of education performance. This system, called Quality Counts, uses official data on performance from each state to generate report cards for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The report card in 2014 uses six different categories:

1. Chance for success
2. K-12 achievement
3. Standards, assessments and accountability
4. The teaching profession
5. School finance
6. Transitions and alignment

Each of these six categories had a number of other elements that received individual scores. Those scores were then averaged and used to determine the final score in each category. Every state received two types of scores for each of the six major categories: A numerical score out of 100 and a letter grade based on that score. Education Week used the score for the first category, "chance for success," as the value for ranking each state and the District of Columbia. The average grade received in the entire country was 77.3, or a C+ average. The country's highest average score was in the category of "standards, assessments and accountability" at 85.3, or a B average. The lowest average score was in "K-12 achievement", at 70.2, or a C- average.

Idaho received a score of 74.2, or a C average in the "chance for success" category. This was below the national average. The state's highest score was in "standards, assessments and accountability" at 86.6, or a B+ average. The lowest score was in "school finance" at 60.0, or a D average. The "teaching profession" category nearly matched the state's lowest score, at 60.5. The chart below displays the scores of Idaho and its surrounding states.^[33]

Note: Click on a column heading to sort the data.

State Budget Solutions education study[edit]

See also: State spending on education v. academic performance (2012)

State Budget Solutions examined national trends in education from 2009 to 2011, including state-by-state analysis of education spending, graduation rates and average ACT scores. The study showed that the states that spent the most did not have the highest average ACT test scores, nor did they have the highest average graduation rates. A summary of the study is available here. The full report can be accessed here.

School districts[edit]

See also: School board elections portal

District types[edit]

School districts in Idaho are split into five categories: elementary school districts, school districts (city/county), joint school districts, specially chartered school districts and junior college districts. Elementary school districts are considered grades one through eight and school districts grades one through 12. All school districts may include kindergarten instruction. There no separate secondary school districts under present law.^[34]

School board composition[edit]

School board members are elected by residents of the school district. School boards in Idaho generally consist of five members that serve four-year terms. However, there is no state law denoting how many board members a district may have or how long the terms need be.^[35]

Term limits[edit]

Idaho does not impose statewide term limits on school board members.^[36]

Elections[edit]

See also: Idaho school board elections, 2022

The table below contains links to school board elections covered by Ballotpedia in 2022 in this state. This list may not include all school districts with elections in 2022. Ballotpedia's coverage includes all school districts in the 100 largest cities by population and the 200 largest school districts by student enrollment across the country.

Our coverage scope for local elections continues to grow, and you can use Ballotpedia's sample ballot tool to see what school board elections we are covering in your area.

Editor's note: Some school districts choose to cancel the primary election, or both the primary and general election, if the number of candidates who filed does not meet a certain threshold. The table below does not reflect which primary or general elections were canceled. Please click through to each school district's page for more information.

Path to the ballot[edit]

Under law, any registered Idaho voter may seek election to the school board in the district in which the voter resides if requirements of the law are met. Qualifications for board members are decided by the district and not the state, however, most districts require candidates be:^[37]

• A citizen of the United States.
• A registered elector of the school district.
• 18 years of age or older.
• A resident of the trustee zone which he/she shall represent for 30 days.

Campaign finance[edit]

Idaho does not impose campaign finance guidelines for school board candidates at the state level. Guidelines for reporting are generally set forth by the county or district itself.^[38]

Recent legislation[edit]

The following is a list of recent education bills that have been introduced in or passed by the Idaho state legislature. To learn more about each of these bills, click the bill title. This information is provided by BillTrack50 and LegiScan.

Note: Due to the nature of the sorting process used to generate this list, some results may not be relevant to the topic. If no bills are displayed below, no legislation pertaining to this topic has been introduced in the legislature recently.

Education ballot measures[edit]

See also: Education on the ballot and List of Idaho ballot measures

Ballotpedia has tracked the following statewide ballot measures relating to education.

1. Idaho Increase Funding for Education Initiative, Initiative 1 (2006)
2. Idaho Public School Fund, HJR 1 (2000)
3. Idaho Public School Permanent Endowment Fund, HJR 6 (1998)
4. Idaho Public School Permanent Endowment Fund, HJR 8 (1998)
5. Idaho Fund for School Districts, SJR 106 (1998)
6. Idaho University of Idaho Tuition and Fees, SJR 101 (2010)
7. Idaho Teachers' Collective Bargaining Veto Referendums, Props. 1 and 2 (2) (2012)
8. Idaho Online Learning Veto Referendum, Proposition 3 (2012)
9. Idaho General Supervision of Educational Institutions, HJR 30 (1912)
10. Idaho Increase Annual Sale of School Land, HJR 10 (1920)
11. Idaho Compulsory School Attendance, SJR 124 (1972)
12. Idaho Income Tax Increases for Education Funding Initiative (2022)

In the news[edit]

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Idaho education policy. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

See also[edit]

• Historical public education information in Idaho
• Idaho state budget and finances
• Idaho State Department of Education
• List of school districts in Idaho
• School choice in Idaho
• Charter schools in Idaho
• Idaho
• Education Policy in the U.S.

External links[edit]

• Idaho Department of Education
• Idaho Board of Education
• Idaho Public Charter School Commission
• Idaho School Choice
• Idaho State Report Card
• Idaho Public School Budget
• Idaho School Data and Statistics
• Idaho State School Ratings by PSK12
• Idaho School Ratings by Great Schools

Footnotes[edit]

	v • e State of Idaho Boise (capital)
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