EDUCATION – Amends existing law to revise provisions regarding the Idaho Digital Learning Academy.
House Bill 940 revises Idaho’s laws governing the Idaho Digital Learning Academy (IDLA), the state’s online public school course-delivery program. The bill updates the academy’s creation and purpose language, clarifies that IDLA is intended to provide choice, accessibility, flexibility, quality, and equity in curricular offerings, and emphasizes that it is meant to supplement rather than replace local school district or charter school instruction. It also expands and modernizes the academy board’s duties, including authority over staffing, contracting, online course delivery, accreditation, mastery-based credit policies, dual credit articulation, accountability, and annual auditing.
The bill also revises the definition section to add new terms such as “custom section” and “emergency clause,” and to clarify who may participate and under what conditions. It updates funding provisions by setting a per-enrollment state support amount of $445, establishing payment timing and reconciliation procedures, and limiting state-funded eligibility to certain students and course types. The bill further requires the academy board to report to the state board of education during the 2027 legislative session with recommendations and a strategic plan for managing digital learning statewide.
HB 940 amends multiple sections of Idaho Code, primarily in Title 33, Chapter 55, to reshape the legal framework for the Idaho Digital Learning Academy. It affects the academy’s governance, staffing rules, procurement flexibility, fee-setting authority, student eligibility, and state reimbursement structure. The bill also creates new statutory definitions and conditions for funding, including restrictions on custom sections and driver’s education, and it sets an emergency effective date of July 1, 2026.
The bill appears to have broad legislative support, passing the House 47-20 and the Senate 31-3 before being signed by the governor. The vote margins suggest general agreement with updating and formalizing the state’s digital learning program, especially its funding and governance provisions. No committee transcript was provided, so the available record shows support through final passage rather than detailed debate.
The main points of potential contention are the bill’s funding and operational changes for IDLA. These include the per-enrollment reimbursement amount, limits on which enrollments qualify for state funding, the treatment of custom sections, and the academy board’s authority over fees, staffing, and exemptions from certain state employment and procurement laws. Another likely issue is the balance between statewide digital course access and the role of local districts and charter schools, since the bill explicitly says IDLA should supplement, not supplant, local instruction.