July 1 isn’t just the start of a new fiscal year for Idaho public schools. It’s also the effective date for many new education-related laws.

From mandatory moments of silence to restrictions on taxpayer funding for teachers’ unions, the Legislature enacted a slew of new policies affecting public schools during this year’s session.

Here’s what educators, parents and students should know:

School trustees, administrators and teachers

Here are the new laws that will affect school trustees, administrators and teachers:

Union activities. Public schools can no longer use taxpayer resources to accommodate teachers’ unions — including by giving teachers paid time off for union “activities” or by using payroll systems to deduct union dues.

The list of union “activities” in House Bill 516 is long. Among other things, it includes:

• Supporting or opposing candidates for office
• Influencing legislation
• Promoting union membership 
• Participating in the “administration business or internal governance” of a teachers’ union
• Preparing, conducting or attending a union event 
• Distributing union communications 
• Speaking on the union’s behalf
• Engaging in union negotiations
• Filing a grievance on behalf of the union

A school district can’t give teachers paid time off to participate in these activities, unless the union reimburses the district.

HB 516 was based on a report from the Washington-based Freedom Foundation, an anti-union think tank, which alleged that public schools have spent more than $1 million subsidizing teachers’ unions.

The bill also prohibited districts from:

• Deducting union dues through payroll systems. 
• Increasing teacher pay to cover union dues. 
• Requiring that teachers meet with the union.
• Sharing employees’ contact information with the union. 
• Communicating on the union’s behalf.  

Civics instruction. Public schools must now ensure that their civics instruction aligns with a law aimed at cultivating the “virtue and knowledge necessary for self-government.”

Senate Bill 1336 codified nearly four pages of requirements for civics instruction. By the time public school students graduate, they must exemplify the virtues of “prudence, justice, fortitude, moderation and patriotism” while understanding the “fundamental principles of the nation’s republican form of government” along with the “history, meaning, significance, and effect of key historical documents.”

Click here to read the list of principles and texts that students must understand.

The bill also required that high school students complete two credits in American history and two credits in American government. These classes must include instruction on the American Revolution and founding along with instruction on the incompatibility of totalitarianism with the principles of American government.

The bill also “encouraged” public schools to display historical portraits of George Washington “in a conspicuous place” in each classroom where civics is taught.

Public charter schools can request an exemption from many of the new requirements. Traditional public schools cannot.

Lastly, the bill pushed back the implementation date for a new civics test that the Idaho Department of Education is writing. The new test will be required in 2027-28, rather than during the upcoming school year.

High-needs funding. Public schools are now eligible to receive up to $100,000 in state funding for “high-needs” special education students.

Senate Bill 1288 set aside $5 million for students who require full-time staff support or specialized equipment. Districts can apply for the state funds to cover students whose individual education program-related costs exceed $30,000 annually.

The state will fully reimburse costs between $30,000 and $80,000. Costs above $80,000 will be reimbursed at 80%, and reimbursement is capped at $100,000. Forty percent of the state funds are reserved for rural schools.

Sexual abuse reporting. School districts are no longer allowed to conduct an internal investigation of abuse in lieu of reporting an incident to law enforcement.

Sen. Tammy Nichols, R-Middleton, proposed the law in response to sexual abuse complaints against Gavin Snow, a former special education assistant in the Boise School District.

Senate Bill 1412, which passed with unanimous support, also requires that school districts ask job applicants for sworn statements disclosing pending or prior investigations, resignations during investigations or disciplinary action stemming from misconduct. An applicant who lies in the disclosure is no longer eligible for the job.

Funding flexibility. Public school districts and charter schools are now eligible for flexibility in how they spend state funds — if they meet performance benchmarks.

To qualify for the “earned autonomy,” districts would have to post high marks on test scores and graduation rates while charters would be graded on academics and financials.

House Bill 883’s sponsors estimated that about 10 districts and 15 charters would qualify.

Parents

Here are the new laws that parents should be aware of:

Social transition reporting. Parents will now have a right to be notified if their child identifies as a different gender at school. Schools could face a six-figure penalty for failing to comply.

House Bill 822 requires that public school officials notify parents within 72 hours if their child requests help with “social transitioning.” This includes when a student asks to go by a different pronoun or use a bathroom or participate on a sports team that doesn’t align with their birth sex.

Sponsored by Rep. Bruce Skaug, R-Nampa, the law gives parents the right to sue a school or healthcare provider for relief and monetary damages if they aren’t notified within the 72-hour window.

The attorney general can also seek a civil penalty up to $100,000.

Rep. Bruce Skaug, R-Nampa

Virtual school policy. Parents of virtual-school students will have new restrictions on money they receive to cover the costs of home learning.

After a state report last year found examples of taxpayer money being misused, lawmakers added limits on “supplemental learning funds.” According to House Bill 624, this money can only be spent on “eligible educational expenses, including:

• Computer hardware, internet access or other devices used to meet a student’s educational needs. 
• Textbooks, curricula or other instructional materials, including educational software.
• Fees for standardized tests, advanced placement exams, certificate exams or college admissions exams. 
• Therapies, including behavioral, physical, speech-language and audiology therapies, along with other State Board of Education-approved services. 

In addition to the rules around supplemental learning funds, HB 624 added reporting requirements for private vendors that contract with virtual schools. Vendors must disclose the costs and services they provide while demonstrating a “clear relationship between the public funds received and the services provided.”

Military preference on charter waitlists. Active-duty military parents could be eligible for preference on charter school waitlists.

Lawmakers passed a bill that allows charter schools to place children from military families third among categories of students given preference on waitlists. It’s up to each charter school whether they implement the change.

Students

Here are the new laws that students should know about:

Moment of silence. Public school students will now have to start each school day with a moment of silence.

They can use the 60 seconds however they want — to reflect, meditate or pray — but they must be silent, and “no other activities shall take place,” according to House Bill 623.

Sponsored by Rep. Bruce Skaug, R-Nampa, the law requires that a moment of silence occur “at or near the beginning of each school day.” It prohibits teachers from instructing students on the “nature of any reflection” they might engage in.

School leaders also must notify parents about the moment of silence and “encourage” them to “provide guidance” to their children on how to use it, according to the law.

Idaho Launch cuts. Less state aid will be available for students going to college after they graduate in 2027.

For the current fiscal year and next fiscal year starting July 1, state lawmakers — with Gov. Brad Little’s approval — cut $10 million from Idaho Launch. The program offers high school graduates $8,000 to spend on an in-state higher education degree or workforce training certificate.

While the award amounts will remain the same, the state now has $65 million in scholarship money to dole out, compared to $75 million in previous years.

IDLA cuts. Fewer students are eligible to take discounted courses through the state’s online learning platform, the Idaho Digital Learning Alliance (IDLA).

House Bill 940 cut funding for IDLA’s elementary program, limiting the platform to students in grades 6-12. The bill also cut driver’s education, and eliminated state funding for students attending all-virtual schools and non-public schools — although private- and home-schoolers can pay IDLA’s full course fee and seek reimbursement through the Parental Choice Tax Credit.

HB 940 also set new fees for courses that are eligible for state funding. Courses that satisfy a graduation requirement are $40, while courses that don’t meet a graduation requirement are $100.

POCATELLO – Learn physics and have some fun at the same time at a community event this weekend.

On Saturday and Sunday, Idaho State University’s Department of Physics will hold its annual Water Rocket Festival at Tydeman Park — North 8th Avenue and East Young Street. The first 100 kids who arrive get to build and launch their own bottle rockets.

“The hope is to sneak some science into the summer,” said Steve Shropshire, the physics professor helping to organize it.

It’s free to the public and held in conjunction with the Kiwanis Club of Pocatello’s Bing Hong Pancake Breakfast fundraiser.

A competition will be held both days. The kid who builds the rocket that goes the furthest will be awarded with their own water-rocket launcher.

Shropshire, who’s been running events like this for nearly 40 years, started the Water Rocket Festival around 16 years ago. As a new member of the Kiwanis club, Shropshire noticed that the fundraiser only took up half of the park.

“I kind of piggybacked onto them, saying, ‘hey, you know, you’re not using this whole field over here. We could sneak some science into this,’ and I think it works well,” Shropshire said.

A student will greet each individual or group, and spend about 15 minutes explaining the physics behind building a rocket.

The kids will build their rockets, with some guidance and tips from students. All basic materials are provided.

Students will help fill the rocket with water and bring it to the launch pad, where Shropshire handles the countdown and launch. Once it’s finished, they can do it all over again.

“The kids are welcome to redesign, rebuild and launch again and again and again, or just keep launching until the thing falls apart,” Shropshire said.

The initial appeal of the event can be summed up by a short statement from Shropshire.

“Rockets are really cool. It certainly captivates the kids’ interest,” Shropshire said.

But beyond that, Shropshire says learning basic principles of physics and then applying them could spark a long-term or lifelong interest.

“The best way to learn is by doing. You understand the principles the best if you actually end up applying them, and seeing them in operation,” Shropshire said.

And Shropshire said the event goes even better when adults get involved.

“I would encourage parents and grandparents to get actively involved in helping their kids build the rockets because that’s kind of a bonding experience … ad I think the kids put better rockets together if they’ve got some parents to help them out,” Shropshire said.

But regardless of whether it sparks a child’s interest in physics or rocket-building, Shropshire said it’s still a worthwhile activity.

“There’s lots of fun, rewarding things that folks can do that are related to science and engineering, and having some awareness of that as the kids go through their schooling is a good thing,” Shropshire said.