Repeals and adds to existing law to remove provisions relating to the Local Innovation School Act and to establish provisions regarding districts of innovation.
House Bill 392 repeals Idaho’s existing Local Innovation School Act and replaces it with a new statutory framework for “districts of innovation.” Under the bill, the State Board of Education may designate eligible school districts as districts of innovation if they submit and receive approval for a local innovation plan. Those plans must describe proposed instructional, administrative, governance, budget, and scheduling innovations, identify state requirements the district seeks to be exempt from, and show community, educator, parent, and school board support.
The bill is designed to give school districts more flexibility to try new approaches intended to improve student performance, close achievement gaps, and increase college- and career-readiness. It also allows two districts to submit a joint plan, requires public posting of approved plans, and directs the State Board to review each plan every two years. The bill includes an emergency clause and would take effect July 1, 2025.
The bill would repeal the current Local Innovation School Act and enact a new Chapter 58 in Title 33 of the Idaho Code governing districts of innovation. It authorizes the State Board of Education to grant exemptions from certain state laws, administrative rules, and board policies to approved districts, while preserving federal requirements, open enrollment rules, chapter 10 requirements, and state curriculum and graduation requirements. It also creates a process for approval, amendment, termination, and biennial review of innovation plans, and requires the board to collect and publish data on which innovations appear to improve educational outcomes. The measure primarily affects school districts, local boards of trustees, the State Board of Education, students, parents, and educators.
The bill appears generally supportive of school choice and local flexibility, with its stated purpose focused on improving student learning through innovation and district-level experimentation. Because no committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, there is no direct evidence of debate, amendments, or partisan division in the available record. Based on the text alone, the measure is framed as a reform-oriented education bill with an emphasis on accountability and performance.
The main potential points of contention are the scope of exemptions from state education requirements and the degree of discretion given to the State Board of Education versus local school boards. Supporters are likely to favor the bill’s flexibility, innovation, and local control, while critics may be concerned about uneven application across districts, reduced uniformity in state education standards, and the possibility of exempting districts from important administrative safeguards. The bill limits exemptions from federal law, open enrollment, chapter 10 requirements, and state curriculum and graduation requirements, which suggests those areas were likely included to address concerns about overreach.