Mendel Leifschitz — Named as the next person to testify; likely the rabbi witness, though spelling is uncertain.
Rabbi Mendel Fischitz — Rabbi Mendel Fischitz testified in support of House Bill 623, describing it as a way to give students a reflective start to the day. He said that, as a rabbi in Boise, he hears concerns from Jewish parents about their children being minorities in public schools, and he argued that the bill would help students study, behave, and interact better while treating all students equally. Later speakers referred back to his testimony in support of the bill.
the rabbi — Questions were invited for the rabbi after his testimony, but none were asked.
David Magera — David Magera, from Deer Flat Church in Caldwell, testified in support of the bill and said it is a common-sense measure that creates a calm, intentional start to the school day. He explained that 60 seconds of quiet can help students transition from a chaotic morning into a ready-to-learn mindset.
Alan Gorin — Alan Gorin, representing Prager University in Idaho, supports the moment-of-silence bill. He explains that his own background shapes his view, then argues that silence has value across faith traditions and for non-religious people alike. He emphasizes that moments of stillness can improve reflection and quality of life, citing cultural and religious references to show that the proposal is broadly meaningful and not tied to any one belief system.
Daniel Murphy — Daniel Murphy introduces himself and testifies in support of the bill, citing his background teaching high school, community college, photojournalism, and substitute teaching. He explains that the bill could help students calm down and reflect, and offers an example from a Boise District school where quiet time after lunch helped students relax. He concludes that giving students time to reflect and relax is beneficial.
James Woodward — A representative is called on, but the transcript is unclear; the question is directed to the sponsor.
James Woodward — Representative Church explained that the bill is intended to clarify school staffing and funding classifications by narrowing ambiguous language around instructional staff and administration. She said the current definition is too broad and creates gray areas about where money is going, and that removing the loose language would make the funding formula clearer for taxpayers and non-educators. She also described the bill as a framework for future changes and noted that certain roles such as deputy superintendents, principals, vice principals, and directors of special education are included under administration.
James Woodward — Representative Church says the bill has been a work in progress for almost two years and refers members to the LSO packet.
James Woodward — During a roll-call vote, James Woodward is referenced with some transcription uncertainty, including one unclear name reference and subsequent vote entries indicating one no vote and one yes vote; the sequence continues with another vote confirmation in the same voting context.
Dave Lent — Dave Lent is addressed as the chair during a brief procedural exchange, including a question and motion process.
Dave Lent — The roll call includes 'Chairman Hawkins,' which may be a mis-transcription; no confident correction made here.
Dave Lent — The chair is addressed during the discussion of the substitute motion and possible reporting on funding formula negotiations.
Dave Lent — Addressed as Mr. Chairman in the procedural discussion.
Christy Zito — The text references 'Representative Skog' and 'Representative Pickett' in a likely mis-transcription; no confident ID assignment beyond the listed members can be made.
Christy Zito — The discussion focused on how the 50% rule affects staff classification in districts, especially for employees who split time between classroom instruction and administrative or supplemental duties. Representative Church explained that staff spending 50% or more of their time with students would still be considered instruction, and that the rule was intended to give districts, particularly rural ones, flexibility in deciding how to categorize staff at that threshold.
Christy Zito — Referenced later in the discussion as part of the committee questioning.
Christy Zito — Addressed by the speaker regarding the positions included under the coding.
Christy Zito — Mentioned as having put tremendous work into the bill and worked with LSO and the department.
Christy Zito — Mentioned in the context of speaking with the representative about the substitute motion and due diligence.
Christy Zito — Mentioned as having done due diligence on the substitute motion.
Christy Zito — E. Hart appears in the roll call; likely a mis-transcription of a member name.
Christy Zito — Hostetler is recorded as voting no; name is uncertain.
Christy Zito — Vili is recorded as voting no; likely a mis-transcription of a member name.
Representative Galavis — A public school teacher speaks in support of the discussion and notes having 30 students.
Prager University representative — Referenced as being present and in favor of the bill.
Kevin Cook — Roll call includes 'Vice Chair Handy,' which appears to be a mis-transcription; no confident correction made here.
Kevin Cook — Kevin Cook is referenced in the ongoing discussion of the substitute motion and related questions about the funding issue, with the same participants and theme continuing across both mentions.
Kevin Cook — During the roll call, several members were recorded as voting: Hawkins was marked 'No,' Vice Chair Handy was marked 'Yes,' and Pickett was also marked 'Yes.' A later roll-call entry again records Vice Chair Handy as voting 'Yes.'
Monica Church, District 19, Boise and Eagle — Introduces herself and begins testimony on a bill clarifying school funding language and classifications.
Janie Ward-Engelking — Asked a question about the history of how so many people ended up in the teaching category when they were not teachers.
Janie Ward-Engelking — Asked how so many people ended up in the teaching category when they were not teachers.
Janie Ward-Engelking — Asked how many people ended up in the teaching category when they were not teachers.
Janie Ward-Engelking — Asked a follow-up question about charts showing growth in administrators versus teachers.
Janie Ward-Engelking — Asked whether the bill helps address growth in administrators and possible administrative bloat.
Janie Ward-Engelking — Asked whether the bill helps address administrative growth and support for teachers.
Janie Ward-Engelking — Asked whether a principal would be part of administration.
Janie Ward-Engelking — Representative Nelson was introduced as making a comment.
Janie Ward-Engelking — Representative Nelson commented that unfunded mandates and unexplained growth in full-time positions are frustrating.
Janie Ward-Engelking — Representative Nelson said the bill helps evaluate administrative costs tied to unfunded mandates.
Janie Ward-Engelking — Representative Nelson said administrative FTEs should reflect paperwork and compliance burdens imposed on districts.
Janie Ward-Engelking — Representative Church responded that the bill is intended to remove administrative concerns from teachers.
Janie Ward-Engelking — Representative Church said teachers should be defined as classroom-based staff and that unfunded mandates should be categorized elsewhere.
Janie Ward-Engelking — Representative Church said non-teaching duties should be placed in a separate category and noted small districts struggle to find administrators.
Janie Ward-Engelking — Representative Church described the paperwork burden on administrators, especially in small districts.
Janie Ward-Engelking — Nelson is recorded as voting yes; name is uncertain.
Cindy Carlson — Representative Galavis asked how the new administrative definition treats teacher-leader endorsements and related mentor or leadership roles, specifically whether individuals in those positions are still considered full-time classroom teachers.
Cindy Carlson — During the roll call vote, the member was recorded as voting no in one mention (with the name uncertain as Garner) and yes in another mention attributed to Representative Ehart.
Heather Williams — Heather Williams testified in opposition to House Bill 728 on behalf of the Idaho Association of School Administrators.
Ms. Wilcox — Ms. Wilcox explains that the funding formula is applied at the district or charter system level rather than the individual school level. In response to a follow-up question about how personnel are counted, she clarifies that a superintendent overseeing multiple schools would be counted only once in the district’s reporting and funding.