Janie Ward-Engelking — Asked why prison Braille production is not used as the first choice for the work.
Janie Ward-Engelking — Continued questioning about why prison Braille production is not used first.
Janie Ward-Engelking — Was asked to come forward and close, then thanked the committee and cited broad support for the fund.
Ms. Shipley — Identified as working with representatives on a separate bill to address the concern.
Tammy Nichols — Senator Nichols asked for clarification about what the bill expanded and followed up with questions about the budget, specifically the $5 million amount and how it compared to the previous year’s bill.
Tammy Nichols — Senator Tammy Nichols briefly thanked everyone who came to the table and worked through the issue, emphasizing that the matter was handled in a bipartisan way and expressing appreciation for the collaborative process.
Perry — Perry is announced as an in-person participant/witness alongside Wilschenhume in person and Landon on video.
Landon — Landon is introduced as one of the first witnesses and noted as participating by video.
Superintendent Wilsenhum — Called forward to testify; name spelling is uncertain in the transcript.
Wilschenhum — Listed as an in-person participant; spelling uncertain.
Quinn Perry — Quinn Perry is called forward to testify in person, then identifies himself as the Deputy Director of the Idaho School Boards Association and states that the association is in strong support of Senate Bill 1288.
Wendy Landon — Wendy Landon is introduced as the next witness, then identifies herself as the Director of the Bonneville School District and testifies in support of the High Needs Student Fund bill.
Ms. Landon — The chair thanked her for her testimony and asked if there were any questions.
Robert Bratley — Robert Bratley was introduced as the next in-person presenter and then identified himself as representing the Idaho Education Association.
Mr. Bradley — Likely a mistaken reference to Robert Bratley when the chair thanked the witness.
Ms. Mason — Ms. Mason was introduced as the next speaker and then explained the process for obtaining Brailled books: IESDB first checks its own resources, then reaches out to prison systems and other states to borrow existing Braille copies, and only if that fails does it send materials to a vendor, which raises costs. She noted that prison-based production is especially challenging because trained prisoners may be moved out of state, making availability inconsistent.
Paula Mason — Identified herself as interim administrator for Idaho Educational Services for the Deaf and the Blind and began testimony in support of the bill.
Christy Zito — The chair recognizes Senator Christy Zito, and Zito begins her question by asking whether books are produced in Braille at the prison library.
Christy Zito — Christy Zito is mentioned as a key collaborator on the bill: she is present to help present it and is credited with providing help and special expertise in developing it.
Christy Zito — The transcript appears to misrecognize the senator's name; the question is addressed to 'Senator Burtonshire' and then to 'Senator Galavis.'
Melissa Vian — Melissa Vian, education director at Idaho Parents Unlimited, testified in support of the State Department’s High Needs Fund proposal. She explained that Idaho serves more than 38,000 special education students, but a small number of students have extraordinary needs requiring expensive one-to-one medical or behavioral support, assistive technology, or interpretation services. She argued that when a single high-cost student enters a district, the expense can overwhelm a special education budget, making the issue one of district capacity rather than willingness to serve. Vian shared an example of a family whose elementary-aged son needed intensive one-to-one support to attend school safely, illustrating how delays in securing funding and staffing can create hardship and school refusal. She concluded that the high cost fund would provide a predictable safety net for rare but very expensive situations and urged support for the proposal.
Angela Lindig — Angela Lindig, executive director of Idaho Parents Unlimited, testified in support of Senate Bill 1288. She described her organization’s work with families, school districts, and charter schools to strengthen family-school partnerships, then spoke as a parent of a child with complex disabilities about how stable funding helps IEP teams focus on student needs rather than district finances. She concluded by emphasizing a sustained commitment to the education of every child and thanking the committee.
Nicole Treacle — Identified as signed up for the next item, not this one.
Kevin Cook — Made the motion to send Senate Bill 1288 to the floor with a due pass recommendation.
Kevin Cook — Kevin Cook is mentioned in the chair’s brief comment about jointly bragging on and introducing the superintendent, who is from their hometown.
Van Burtenshaw — Thanked the chair and said he would turn the discussion over to the Superintendent of Public Instruction.
Nicole Trachele — Nicole Trachele introduced herself as a Caldwell resident and then testified in support of House Bill 624, explaining that she has two children enrolled in Idaho Home Learning Academy.
Terry Sorensen — Terry Sorensen was announced as a video witness, then brought into the meeting by video. She confirmed she was present, was welcomed by the chair, and then identified herself as the Executive Director of Idaho Home Learning Academy before beginning her testimony.
Jan Baer — Jan Baer is scheduled to testify by video and then appears as a witness. She introduces herself as Superintendent for Boundary County School District and speaks on House Bill 624 regarding virtual education, describing her district’s experience and concerns about student readiness gaps.
Idaho Home Learning Academy / Terry Sorensen — Testified that the academy serves over 7,600 students and has evolved while balancing state requirements with parent flexibility.
Ms. Sorensen — Closed testimony by asking for passage of House Bill 624.
Jan Baer / Bayer — The chair transitions to the next witness; surname is uncertain in the transcript and appears as both Baer and Bayer.
Scott Wollstoneham — Introduced as superintendent of Bauderville School District and says his district started Idaho's first public school district online school.
Superintendent Wollstoneham — Superintendent Wollstoneham described how the district’s online school was established long before educational service providers existed and explained the challenges of delivering curriculum and monitoring student progress in a remote setting. He contrasted the cost and limitations of early outside providers with the need to hire full-time teachers, recounted a negative experience with an out-of-state provider, and then explained that Overture Learning was a better fit because it provided content and a learning management system that allowed teachers to track student progress. He also praised the bill for protecting successful programs and thanked the committee for its support.
Carrie Semmelroth — Carrie Semmelroth thanked the superintendent for coming and then asked how education service providers work with the district and how they support student learning for public school students.
Dave Lent — Dave Lent is repeatedly addressed as the Chairman/Chair during the opening of the meeting and early exchanges, including a thank-you to the Chairman and committee members and later direct references to him as Mr. Chairman during the question-and-answer period.
Dave Lent — During a continuous committee exchange, the chairman is repeatedly addressed while Senator Nichols and Senator Blaylock discuss the bill’s prior-year threshold and request clarification about expanding it from $15,000 to $30,000. The discussion remains procedural and focused on the same issue, then transitions into closing remarks praising Senator Blaylock’s framing of the bill as rooted in American values and universal education, ending with strong support for sending the bill to the floor with a due pass recommendation.
Dave Lent — Multiple speakers address Dave Lent as Chairman Lent while speaking to the Senate Education Committee, thanking him for the opportunity to speak and acknowledging the committee. One speaker also references a statement by Senator Lent that innovative education should be the norm rather than the exception. Overall, the mentions reflect a continuous exchange of remarks directed to or about Chairman Lent during the hearing.
Cindy Carlson — Senator Cindy Carlson asks whether the bill requires schools or LEAs to keep epinephrine on hand, and the chairman responds affirmatively, confirming the delivery system and student use.
Cindy Carlson — Senator Carlson participates in a continuous exchange with the chair and Senator Blaylock, asking follow-up questions about how the funding split and reimbursement work, then seeking clarification on the availability of remaining funds for non-rural purposes. The responses directly address his questions and continue the same line of discussion throughout.
Cindy Carlson — Cindy Carlson asked the Superintendent of Public Instruction where the state stands on the growing special education funding shortfall, noting it had increased from $82 million to $110 million. She followed up by asking what the plan is for future budgeting and how high-needs students are currently being funded. The Superintendent then directly addressed Carlson in response to the same special education funding discussion.
Alexis Morgan — Alexis Morgan testified in support of House Bill 531, explaining that rural districts may depend on front office staff during medical emergencies and noting that free epinephrine options are available through the Neffy in Schools program. She concluded by stating that the Idaho PTA supports the bill. Later, the chair referenced her testimony again and indicated it had already been heard, so she would not be asked to speak again.
Brittany Shipley — Brittany Shipley, appearing by video as the final witness, testified as a parent of a child with a rare medical condition and expressed support for House Bill 531 while asking the committee to amend the bill’s blood glucose monitoring language. She explained that the current wording is too narrowly tied to students with diabetes, even though her son and other children with complex conditions may need timely glucose checks ordered by a physician. Shipley said diagnosis-specific statutory language creates confusion for schools and can delay care, and she urged the committee to allow schools to follow physician orders regardless of diagnosis to reduce disruptions and improve student safety.
James Woodward — Senator Woodward repeatedly asked the witness to clarify the witness’s name and the specific bill reference, including the page and line number and the exact line item or proposed change, so he could understand whether the bill needed revision. The exchange continued with a response directed to him explaining that the information had been raised in the House hearing.
James Woodward — Asks for clarification on the bill's rural funding mechanism.
James Woodward — States support for the intent and says the language is challenging but appears to ensure a minimum rural allocation.
James Woodward — The chair responds to Senator Woodward’s observation about committee experience and technology, and Woodward then offers a quick lighthearted follow-up on the same theme.
James Woodward — James Woodward is mentioned in connection with House Bill 624, first as the seatmate presenting the bill and later as one of the people, along with Representative Handy, involved in developing it.
James Woodward — James Woodward makes a brief comment following the superintendent’s testimony, noting that Superintendent Bayer is in Valley View Elementary—where he started school in 1977—and observing that the building is old and that the office will soon be removed because of the Cooperative Facilities Fund.
James Woodward — James Woodward briefly praised the bill as an innovative public school choice option, then moved to send House Bill 624 to the Senate floor with a due pass recommendation, repeating the motion as the discussion continued.