Ron Mendive — Introduced Senate Bill 1288 and explained the constitutional basis for school funding.
Ron Mendive — Responded that he does not know the numbers and discussed high drug use in some areas.
Ron Mendive — Representative Ron Mendive argued that charter and rural schools are already stretched thin when serving special-needs students because they must shift limited resources to meet those needs. He illustrated the burden with an example of a friend who adopted three severely disabled drug-exposed children, noting that helping such children become more functional would save the state money over time. He concluded that the bill is a necessary way to help schools meet federal obligations and support these students without harming other classrooms, framing it as an investment in the future.
Clint Hostetler — Representative Clint Hostetler is addressed in the exchange and then responds to a question about the year-by-year increase in high-need students, continuing the same discussion without a topic change.
Clint Hostetler — Representative Hostetler asked whether the services being described for the young boy are truly educational in nature or whether they are more like health care services being provided at school.
Clint Hostetler — Offered a comment rather than a question and framed the issue as a difficult one with obligations.
Dale Hawkins — Dale Hawkins is mentioned twice in the witness introduction as Chairman Hawkins and then as Mr. Hawkins, both as part of the opening address to the House Education Committee.
Dale Hawkins — Representative Marman participated in a discussion about the bill’s funding and sustainability, asking whether the program would be continuous given that the fiscal note referenced one-time existing state funding and whether the money was new or drawn from within the department. The responses addressed those funding-source questions, and later remarks tied Representative Marman’s earlier comments back into the same broader discussion about moving the bill forward.
Melissa Vian — Introduced as the next witness.
Melissa Vion — Melissa Vion, Education Director at Idaho Parents Unlimited, testified in support of Senate Bill 1288 and illustrated the need for services by describing a rural Idaho student with a traumatic brain injury who requires extensive support, including a full-time paraprofessional, multiple therapies, and specialized communication equipment.
Julie Whitman — Julie Whitman is introduced and then begins her testimony, identifying herself as the parent of a 14-year-old daughter with high-needs autism, a board-certified behavior analyst serving rural school districts in North Idaho, and the chairman of the Special Education Advisory Committee.
Ms. Whitman — Responded that the student is learning and has academic goals appropriate to his disability.
Jennifer Johnson — Jennifer Johnson introduced herself as a Boise resident, small business owner, and parent of twin boys who received special education services. She explained that her business helps provide children with disabilities access to specialized equipment and that she started it because of her own children’s needs. She then described one son’s multiple disabilities and the extensive support he required in school, including a one-on-one behavior interventionist to access his education. She noted that with community and educational support he is now thriving in high school and is expected to become a productive employee and taxpayer. She concluded by emphasizing that many children with serious medical, developmental, and mental health conditions need similar supports to fully access education.
Paula Mason — Paula Mason testified as interim administrator for Idaho Educational Services for the Deaf and the Blind, explaining that Idaho’s per-pupil funding does not cover the very high costs of serving low-incidence students. She described expensive supports such as braille technology, embossers, screen-reader laptops, orientation and mobility services, full-time paraprofessionals, teacher travel, and braille science textbooks. She also gave an example of a deaf student in Southeast Idaho whose combined supports, including a behavior interventionist, interpreter, and para, cost nearly $300,000 per year. She then corrected a prior cost reference, clarifying that orientation and mobility services cost $70 to $100 per hour, while the classroom technology needed for access costs about $7,000.
Camille Blaylock — Identified herself as a senator from District 11 and explained the funding is one-time.
James Woodward — Representative Marman is referenced as part of a continuous discussion in which the speaker recalls a prior point about the relationship between educational and health care responsibilities, and then uses Marman as a comparison point while expressing support for the bill and broader concerns.
Barbara Ehardt — Representative Ehardt makes brief remarks in a budget-focused discussion, stressing that departments should use funds wisely and noting that the Department of Education found the requested funding. She then continues by saying that action should be taken now because the future is in danger, reinforcing her concern about responsible funding and urgency.
Clay Handy — Representative Handy thanks the chair and supports rewarding the Department of Education for finding one-time funding, noting the issue can be revisited next year. He then speaks from personal experience about autism diagnosis, observing that these conditions have grown exponentially.
Jack Nelsen — Introduces a different perspective and makes a joking remark about being normal.
Jack Nelsen — Speaker appears uncertain whether the member was a senator or representative; likely a reference to a legislator named Ely.
Michael Veile — Introduced himself and presented Senate Bill 1339 on strategic performance plans and training for districts and charters.
Douglas Pickett — Referenced as having sponsored a recent bill with rewards and flexibility.
Dave Lent — Identified himself as Senator Dave Lent, District 33, and addressed the committee.
Dave Lent — Addressed as 'Senator Lent' by the witness, asking whether he has time to discuss the bill.
Victoria Young / Dr. Victoria Young — Introduced as the first witness to testify in person.
Dr. Victoria Young — Testified as an education researcher from District 11, Caldwell, and described her background as a veterinarian and committee member.
Carla La Orange — Introduced as the next witness, though the name may be slightly misheard.
Carlisle Orange — Testified as superintendent of Idaho Falls School District and described the district's strategic planning process.
Soñia Galaviz — The speaker addressed Representative Galaviz in the course of closing remarks and motion discussion.