Transcript Highlights:

• And I care deeply about education in this state. And I'm a fourth-generation educator.
• , the State Board of Education, and the Idaho Department of Career and Technical Education.
• We've heard our Idaho Department of Education and the State Board of Education, and we've worked very
• , because at that time, when they were in educator preparation programs, they were educated strongly
• education.

Summary: The House Education Committee heard testimony on House Bill 515, sponsored by Representative Chris Matthias, which would require school districts to adopt procedures for reporting suspensions related to bullying, harassment, intimidation, and related conduct to families, while removing a prior state-level reporting requirement. Matthias said the bill is intended to help families respond quickly and to keep the focus on local school-level accountability; he noted earlier versions had included language about limiting access to means of harm and notifying law enforcement, but those provisions were removed after prior defeats. Quinn Perry of the Idaho School Boards Association testified in support, saying the bill improves communication and trust with families and eliminates redundant reporting to the Department of Education. The committee then voted to send HB 515 to the floor with a due pass recommendation. The committee also received a presentation from Brooke Blevins of the Idaho Association of Colleges for Teacher Education and the University of Idaho on educator preparation programs. She described collaboration among Idaho’s colleges and universities and said programs have expanded coursework and field experiences in classroom management, educator ethics, career and technical education, rural school preparation, literacy and the science of reading, and the ethical use of AI. Members asked about literacy instruction and the earlier state literacy funding, with several expressing concern that phonics and the science of reading had not been emphasized enough in the past. Blevins said higher education institutions are aligning with state literacy efforts and that the $50 million literacy initiative primarily funds Department of Education programs rather than universities. Committee members also asked about teacher preparation pathways and workforce readiness. Blevins said Idaho has multiple routes to certification, including traditional undergraduate programs, alternative authorizations, alternative programs, apprenticeships, graduate programs, and CTE pathways, and estimated that about 63% of current Idaho teachers were educated through institutions like those represented. She emphasized early field experiences to help candidates determine whether teaching is the right fit and said institutions are studying student success across different educational settings. No further action was taken on the presentation, and the chair adjourned the meeting after reminding members to review the rules in their folders for the following week.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> they' expect those resources to educate they' expect those resources to educate and<00:11:25.920
• Department of Education to the New Hampshire Department of Education.
• </c><01:16:30.760><c> or</c> education and Department of Education or education and Department of Education
• If a district is educating a special education student, they're going to receive special education differential
• Oh, special education.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The Department of Education’s Bureau of School Finance provided an adequacy-funding training for Division II, led by Mark Mello. He walked the committee through the adequacy formula using Albany, Allenstown, and Alton as examples, explaining average daily membership, base adequacy aid, and differential aid for free/reduced-price meals, special education, and English language learners. He also noted a recent change requiring home-education differential aid and emphasized that these aid streams are generally unrestricted district funding rather than money tied to specific students or programs. A major focus was the ongoing litigation over the adequacy base amount and the statewide education property tax, or SWEPT. Mello explained the historical basis of the current base amount, the 2008 legislative report that set the original methodology, and the later court ruling that the adequacy amount should be $7,356, which is now before the Supreme Court. He also described how SWEPT currently raises a fixed statewide amount of $363 million and how that revenue is used to offset the state’s adequacy obligation. For the example towns, Albany and Allenstown receive state adequacy grants because their SWEPT revenue is below their calculated adequacy cost, while Alton is an excess SWEPT community because its local SWEPT revenue exceeds the cost of adequate education. The discussion then turned to the pending “excess SWEPT” issue in the Supreme Court and what would happen if excess collections had to be remitted to the state. Mello said the Department is preparing a hypothetical walkthrough and explained that, if the court upholds the Superior Court ruling, DRA would likely be directed to collect excess SWEPT. Members raised concerns about whether SWEPT must be used for educational purposes and about the cash-flow burden on towns if money had to move from municipalities to the state and then back to districts. Mello and members discussed possible administrative workarounds, such as credits against other state aid distributions, and noted that the committee would continue reviewing the mechanics if the court decision comes down during budget work.

Transcript Highlights:

• Elevating the importance of career education and career technical education in our changing economy.
• Of career technical education.
• Department of Education?
• Would it be the Department of Education administering the Career Technical Education Incentive Grant
• While this is not part of the career education, this council is part of the master plan for career education

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We brought the education, national education union for, several international organizations.
• We brought the education, national education union from England here.
• Achievement gaps in education remain stark.
• Achievement gaps in education remain stark.
• Educators are committed.

Keywords: 988, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• technical education in our changing economy, making sure that our education programs are relevant to
• Department of Education. Good morning.
• So, rest assured, on career technical education as well as general education courses or general programming
• Would it be the Department of Education administering, you know— Would it be the Department of Education
• Those are out of county offices of education.

Summary: The Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance heard an overview of the governor’s new Career Education Master Plan and related budget items. Labor Secretary Knox described the plan as an effort to reduce fragmentation across K-12, community colleges, workforce boards, and other systems by improving statewide and regional coordination, data sharing, skills-based hiring, career pathways, and wraparound supports such as child care, housing, food, and transportation. Members asked how success would be measured, how the plan would serve disconnected youth and adults, and whether the proposed data integration would rely on Cradle to Career; the secretary said it would. The Department of Finance said it was available to answer questions on the education side. The committee then reviewed existing CTE funding and oversight. The LAO, CDE, and Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office described the major ongoing programs, including CTIG, Perkins, K-12 Strong Workforce, and Community College Strong Workforce, and noted that many programs overlap in purpose and administration. Members repeatedly raised concerns about duplication, annual applications and reporting burdens, lack of clear outcome metrics, and whether funding incentives should be better aligned to regional collaboration. CDE and the Chancellor’s Office said they support alignment and dual enrollment, and Finance and CDE said LCFF/local match dollars are part of the funding structure. The committee also discussed child care as a barrier to participation and the need for better tracking of enrollment, completion, and job outcomes. On the consolidated application proposal, Finance proposed a study directing CDE to examine whether three long-standing CTE grant programs—Specialized Secondary Programs, CTIG, and California Partnership Academies—could be streamlined into a single application and reporting process. The LAO supported reducing administrative burden but noted that the largest programs, CTIG and K-12 Strong Workforce, were excluded from the proposal even though districts most often cite them as burdensome. CDE said it did not oppose the study but warned that statutory differences may limit consolidation. Members said the proposal should better address regional coordination, multi-year funding stability, and outcome measures rather than only simplifying paperwork. Finally, the committee heard a proposal for a $5 million ongoing California Education Interagency Council. GovOps said the council would provide a neutral venue for statewide coordination across education and workforce systems. The LAO opposed the proposal, arguing that existing bodies already provide coordination, the proposal does not change agency incentives, and the council would lack authority to implement decisions. Members expressed mixed views, with some supporting a coordinating body and others questioning whether it would differ from past efforts. No votes were taken during the portions summarized here, and the committee indicated it would hold some items open for further discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• by creating an Office of Special Education with a named deputy by the Secretary of Education.
• education for all students with disabilities.
• The Office of Special Education and a Deputy Secretary of Special Education would ensure compliance,
• Act and state education law.
• of their education.

Summary: The committee first heard House Bill 124, which would create a permanent Office of New Americans within the Department of Workforce Solutions. The sponsor and supporters said the office would help immigrant and refugee workers access training, licensing, language support, and other workforce resources, while also helping employers fill labor shortages in industries such as construction, agriculture, oil and gas, health care, and child care. Support came from advocates, business groups, faith organizations, and immigrant-rights groups; there was no opposition. Members asked about data protection, the number of other states with similar offices, and whether the office could help recruit and credential foreign-trained medical professionals. The bill passed on a do-pass motion with several yes votes and some no votes recorded, and the sponsor explained the vote as a way to support families and workforce integration. The committee then considered House Bill 314, which would authorize zero-interest loans through the Local Government Division for political subdivisions to repair flood- and debris-damaged public infrastructure and remove debris from the October 19, 2024 storm event. There was no public testimony in support or opposition. Members briefly asked about the $150 million appropriation and whether it was already in the budget, and the sponsor said it was. The bill received a do-pass motion, a second, and was approved without opposition. Finally, the committee took up Senate Bill 64, as amended, to codify the Office of Special Education and a deputy secretary position within the Public Education Department. The sponsor and department officials said the bill would formalize an office already created by executive order, improve statewide coordination, support compliance with IDEA and the Yazzie-Martinez case, and develop a statewide IEP template to reduce inconsistency across districts. They emphasized that gifted education would remain in Curriculum and Instruction and that the bill would not add new paperwork or mandates for districts. Supporters included education leaders, disability advocates, vocational rehabilitation, and special education professionals; there was no opposition. Members raised questions about parent understanding of IEPs, monitoring and enforcement, funding, charter school coverage, and the treatment of gifted and twice-exceptional students. The bill passed on a do-pass motion with unanimous support from those present.

Transcript Highlights:

• Special Education. ...by creating an Office of Special Education with a named deputy by the Secretary
• of Education.
• Our office is federally funded, and we are not able to even supervise gifted education if gifted education
• The Office of Special Education and a Deputy Secretary of Special Education would ensure compliance,
• Act and state education law.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• special education services.
• educate Sean in the general education setting.
• > classes</c> education and general education classes education and general education classes and<00:
• c> with</c> educ education for students with educ education for students with disabilities<02:00:41.560
• </c> same fund that guarantees adequate educ same fund that guarantees adequate educ education<02:34:

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The hearing focused on HB 563, which would revise the education funding formula for pupils receiving special education services by replacing the current single special education amount with three differentiated categories. Representative Rick Ladd, the prime sponsor, said the bill largely tracks a House-passed version from the prior session with minor figure adjustments, and explained that the proposal uses projected FY26 amounts for three categories based on time in general education versus more intensive placements. He also noted that the bill does not address catastrophic aid directly, but that special education aid, CAT aid, and proration all remain issues for later work sessions. Ladd and supporters argued that weighted categories better reflect actual costs and are more sustainable than treating all IEPs the same. Representative Margaret Drye said the approach was one of the best ideas from the education funding subcommittee and urged the committee to support differentiated aid. Representative Ames asked how the category amounts were derived, and Ladd said Category A follows the FY26 base, Category B is a higher weight, and Category C is a still higher weight for more intensive services, though he acknowledged the exact multipliers were developed earlier and could be revisited. He also said the committee would continue discussing whether the weights are appropriate and how they interact with CAT aid. Testimony from Bonnie Dunham strongly opposed the bill. She argued that funding based on placement rather than actual service need would create incentives to move students into more restrictive settings, could stigmatize children with labels such as "Category C," and would undermine the least restrictive environment requirements under federal special education law. She described her son’s experience in inclusive settings as beneficial and said the bill would have penalized the district for serving him there. In response to questions, she said schools and parents should base funding on the child’s actual needs and costs, not on placement, and urged the committee to recommend the bill inexpedient to legislate.

Transcript Highlights:

• The Senate Budget Subcommittee Number One on Education will come to order.
• The special education funding stream...
• education local plan area, or SELPA, will receive the same base rate per pupil for state special education
• We would like to speak to the special education funding.
• environments. special education.

Keywords: 987, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> the Minnesota Department of Education the Minnesota Department of Education and<00:23:07.440><c>
• </c> values and expectations for Education values and expectations for Education would<00:25:37.120><
• </c> 18,000 per pupil in public education 18,000 per pupil in public education while<00:42:13.200><c>
• </c> the solution to Minnesota's education the solution to Minnesota's education crisis<00:42:54.200>
• Paul by educating our local youth.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• It allows educators... ...aligns with what we know from education, rehabilitation, and science.
• , the State Board of Education, and the Idaho Department of Career and Technical Education.
• Strong K-12 schools are not just an educational priority. They are a Education.
• We want to educate every person. We know that education is the way forward for a person.
• The answer is I don't think education is a privilege. Education is a right.

Summary: The committee first approved the January 21, 2026 minutes and then heard two print requests from Senator Carrie Semmelroth tied to code cleanup work that originated from House Bill 14 last session. RS 32-89 would remove obsolete references to regional library systems that no longer exist, and RS 32-91 would clean up Title 33 by removing redundancies and non-applicable provisions. Both RSs were moved to print and approved without opposition. The committee then held a special presentation on spelling to communicate (S2C) from Kara Sanders, followed by testimony from Jennifer Ruiz on behalf of her daughter Ray Ruiz. Sanders described S2C as a communication method for non-speaking people who can point to letters to spell their thoughts, emphasizing presuming competence, the role of a communication regulation partner, and the need for training and safeguards. Ray Ruiz testified that S2C opened communication and educational opportunities for her, including sharing her interests, languages, and goals in psychology and advocacy; committee members asked about when she began spelling, learning languages, and her education plans. Jennifer Ruiz said S2C allowed her to truly get to know her daughter after years of uncertainty. The final presentation was from Dr. Brooke Blevins on behalf of the Idaho Association of Colleges of Teacher Education. She outlined educator preparation efforts across Idaho’s colleges and universities, including work on student behavior, educator ethics, career and technical education, rural teacher preparation, early literacy, and generative AI. In response to committee questions, she said schools need more support personnel and tiered interventions to address behavior, stressed that education is a right, and said clear expectations, stable environments, and teacher retention are important. Members raised concerns that student behavior is becoming a crisis and urged the group to help develop new solutions; the presentation ended with the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• And I care deeply about education in this state. And I'm a fourth-generation educator.
• Education.
• Education.
• We also support our future educators, and we're also supporting current educators in the field through
• education.

Keywords: 989, all

Summary: The committee first took up House Bill 515, which would require school districts to adopt procedures for reporting serious bullying/harassment incidents to families. The sponsor explained that earlier versions of the bill had included language about limiting access to means of harm and notifying law enforcement if conduct rose to a criminal act, but those provisions were removed after prior concerns in the House and Senate. Testimony in support came from the Idaho School Boards Association, which said the bill would improve communication, accountability, and trust while keeping reporting requirements at the local level. The committee asked about whether sexual harassment and other forms of misconduct would be covered; the sponsor said Idaho’s existing harassment, intimidation, and bullying statute is broad enough to include those situations. The committee then voted to send House Bill 515 to the floor with a due pass recommendation. The remainder of the meeting featured a presentation from the Idaho Association of Colleges for Teacher Education and Dr. Brooke Blevins of the University of Idaho on educator preparation in Idaho. She described collaboration among Idaho’s higher education institutions and state education agencies, and highlighted recent program changes in six areas: classroom management and student behavior, educator ethics, career and technical education, rural teacher preparation, literacy/science of reading, and artificial intelligence. She said programs are adding coursework, field experiences, and professional development in these areas, and emphasized support for rural placements and ongoing teacher mentoring. Members asked several questions about literacy instruction, including why the state needed additional spending after prior literacy investments. Dr. Blevins said teacher preparation programs do teach the science of reading, but ongoing professional development is needed because many current teachers were trained under older methods such as whole language. She also explained that the state’s literacy initiative funds go to the Department of Education rather than directly to universities. Other questions addressed how teachers are certified in Idaho and whether institutions track outcomes across different education pathways; Dr. Blevins outlined traditional, alternative, graduate, apprenticeship, and CTE-related routes, and said about 63% of current Idaho teachers were educated through Idaho higher education educator preparation programs. The meeting ended with general comments about the importance of early field experiences and classroom management, and the chair adjourned the meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• You can use multiple educational options to compile your child's education, but home education is not
• </c> home educator. home educator.
• </c> educator versus homeschooler. educator versus homeschooler.
• . educator. educator.
• </c> education already works in practice. education already works in practice.

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• across our state, the urgent need for increased investment in special education.
• to make up for the shortfall in special education funding.
• In my career, I have been a special education teacher, a vocational coordinator, and an educational diagnostician
• We provide education, special education services, not because it's our duty, but because it's the right
• and equitable special education system.

Transcript Highlights:

• education funding.
• The Minnesota Office of Higher Education will establish a working group on higher education financial
• group on higher education working group on higher education Financial<00:02:39.800><c> stability</c>
• </c><00:03:38.920><c> education</c><00:03:39.480><c> attainment</c> higher education education attainment
• and P20 Educational Partnership.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• I serve both the Education Policy Committee and the Education Finance Committee.
• I serve both the Education Policy Committee and the Education Finance Committee.
• Caucus for education.
• </c> Educators um and Educators parents Educators um and Educators parents community<00:25:52.640><c>
• </c><00:27:58.360><c> make</c> Educators We Trust educators to make Educators We Trust educators to make

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Before you is the Education K-12 Education Finance and Policy Working Group agreement.
• ><c> dedicated</c><00:14:29.040><c> to</c> educators for education dedicated to educators for education
• Education. Education.
• </c> special education aid appropriation. special education aid appropriation.
• education policy within consideration of education policy within the<01:52:24.000><c> education</c><

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The Senate Budget Subcommittee No. 1 on Education will come to order.
• The special education funding stream...
• education local plan area, or SELPA, will receive the same base rate per pupil for state special education
• To cover special education costs.
• special education.

Summary: The Senate Budget Subcommittee on Education heard the Governor’s proposals on dual enrollment, reading difficulty screeners, special education, school facilities, and Commission on Teacher Credentialing programs. For dual enrollment, the Department of Finance described a $100 million one-time Proposition 98 General Fund proposal to expand the Dual Enrollment Opportunities Grant Program, add flexibility for regional occupational centers, support justice-involved youth, prioritize higher-need LEAs, and allow funds for teacher professional development, along with a reduction in required instructional minutes for some dual enrollment students. The LAO recommended rejecting the new funding, saying it did not address a clear implementation barrier, while CDE supported the proposal and suggested reserving $10 million for technical assistance. Members and public commenters largely supported the expansion, with some urging additional technical assistance and broader access, including adult dual enrollment. The committee then discussed the reading difficulty screener proposal, which includes $40 million one-time Proposition 98 General Fund for implementation costs and statutory changes that would delay formal screening until the 91st day for kindergarten and the 46th day for grades 1-2. Finance said the timing was intended to reduce over-identification and align screening with sufficient exposure to instruction; the LAO recommended rejecting the funding and redirecting it to a discretionary block grant. CDE supported the investment but cautioned about the timing restrictions, and several members and public witnesses argued the proposed deadlines were too rigid and could delay early intervention, while others supported the structured timeline as a way to improve accuracy and reduce misidentification. On special education, Finance presented a proposal to increase the statewide base rate to $99 per ADA through a $509 million ongoing Proposition 98 General Fund augmentation, plus COLA and a negative growth adjustment. The LAO said the proposal should be adopted but estimated it could be achieved with less funding; CDE strongly supported the increase, citing rising enrollment and local cost pressures, and district and SELPA representatives described large local funding gaps and growing expenditures. The committee also reviewed school facilities funding under Proposition 2, with Finance and the Office of Public School Construction describing $1.5 billion in proposed bond spending, existing balances for new construction and modernization, and the use of bond authority for natural disaster recovery, including projects related to recent fires. For the Commission on Teacher Credentialing, the committee heard about the Student Teacher Stipend Program, the Golden State Teacher Grant, state operations funding for misconduct investigations and SB 848 implementation, and a $250 million proposal to extend the Teacher Residency Grant Program; CTC supported the proposals and highlighted new data systems and technical assistance, while public testimony broadly backed the investments and urged continued or additional funding for teacher recruitment, literacy screening support, and special education.

Transcript Highlights:

• </c> educational needs. educational needs.
• </c> not an LEA, a local education authority. not an LEA, a local education authority.
• </c> we're part of Wyoming's educational we're part of Wyoming's educational system.
• </c> educational services and coordination. educational services and coordination.
• </c> education, who are they responsible to? education, who are they responsible to?

Keywords: 916, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The Senate Budget Subcommittee Number One on Education will come to order.
• The special education funding stream...
• education local plan area, or SELPA, will receive the same base rate per pupil for state special education
• To cover special education costs.
• special education.

Summary: The Senate Budget Subcommittee on Education heard the Governor’s proposals on dual enrollment, reading difficulty screeners, special education, school facilities, and Commission on Teacher Credentialing programs. On dual enrollment, the Department of Finance described a $100 million one-time Proposition 98 investment to expand the Dual Enrollment Opportunities Grant Program, along with changes to make regional occupational centers eligible, add funding for justice-involved youth, prioritize higher-need LEAs, support teacher professional development, and reduce daily instructional minute requirements for some dual enrollment students. The LAO recommended rejecting the new funding as not clearly addressing implementation barriers, while CDE supported the proposal and suggested reserving $10 million for technical assistance. Committee members and public commenters generally supported the expansion, with some asking for technical assistance and broader access, including adult dual enrollment. The committee also reviewed a $40 million one-time Proposition 98 proposal for reading difficulty screener implementation and related trailer bill language that would require screening after 91 school days for kindergarten and 46 school days for grades 1-2. Finance said the timing was intended to reduce over-identification and align with evidence from preliminary data; the LAO recommended rejecting the funding and redirecting it to a discretionary block grant. CDE supported the funding and the general approach but acknowledged the need for local support and training. Several committee members and public witnesses raised concerns that the proposed timing restrictions were too rigid and could delay early intervention, while others supported the delay as a way to improve accuracy and avoid misidentification. For special education, Finance proposed ongoing Proposition 98 increases to adjust for COLA and enrollment changes and to raise the statewide special education base rate to $99 per ADA, equalizing rates across SELPAs. The LAO said the proposal should be adopted but estimated it could be funded for less than the Governor’s figure. CDE and multiple local education representatives strongly supported the increase, citing rising special education enrollment, cost pressures, and large local funding gaps. The committee also heard a brief overview of the school facilities proposal, which continues $1.5 billion in Proposition 2 bond funding for the School Facility Program; OPSC reported significant remaining bond authority but also substantial pending demand, and explained that natural disaster school rebuilding draws from the broader new construction and modernization pools. Finally, the committee reviewed Commission on Teacher Credentialing proposals, including the already-funded $300 million Student Teacher Stipend Program, new state operations resources for misconduct investigations and grant administration, and a $250 million one-time continuation of the Teacher Residency Grant Program. CTC said its grants management system is ready and that it expects better data tracking; public testimony broadly supported the educator workforce investments and urged continued funding for the Golden State Teacher Grant Program and additional support for rural and leadership pipeline programs. No votes were taken, and the hearing adjourned after public testimony.