State Superintendent of Public Instruction Debbie Critchfield convened the first in a planned series of public listening sessions on June 4 at the Idaho State Capitol, opening a formal push to gather input on overhauling how the state funds its public schools. The funding formula at the center of the debate has not been substantially updated since the 1990s.
The session drew a mix of lawmakers, educators, and parents, including Bessie Yeley, a Nampa mother whose child has special education needs. Yeley made clear that for families like hers, the stakes of inaction are not abstract. “We keep coming back, and we keep telling the people here in this building that they’re not meeting the obligations to our children,” she said.
A Formula Long Overdue for an Update
Idaho’s current approach to school funding ties state dollars to student attendance rather than enrollment — a method that critics argue penalizes districts when absences rise. That model has come under increasing scrutiny, and the June 4 forum reflected broad dissatisfaction with it. Among those who participated, an enrollment-based funding system drew the most support as an alternative. Most states have already moved in that direction: 35 states now use a student-based funding model that applies added weights for students with particular needs, while Idaho remains among only nine states still relying on a resource-based structure.
The state briefly shifted to enrollment-based funding during the COVID-19 pandemic, giving districts a preview of how that model operates. When Idaho reverted to the attendance-based formula in 2023, districts statewide absorbed an estimated $145 million hit — a figure that remains a flashpoint in discussions about reform.
Critchfield has previously advanced proposals to move Idaho toward a per-student funding model with weighted adjustments for different student populations. Those efforts stalled in the Legislature, but the department is now moving forward with a formula rewrite regardless, following the direction of Senate Concurrent Resolution 121. That resolution, sponsored by Sen. Dave Lent, R-Idaho Falls, who also led Thursday’s meeting, directed the Idaho Department of Education to draft updated legislation and study how changes would affect individual districts. The resolution cleared the Senate but did not advance through the House.
Special Education Funding Gap a Central Concern
One of the most pressing issues raised at the session was the estimated $100 million shortfall in special education funding across Idaho’s public schools. Families and advocates have repeatedly flagged the gap as evidence that the current formula fails to account for the true cost of educating students with disabilities.
The concern carries additional weight given a decision by the Idaho Legislature to direct $50 million toward parents of private school and home-school students last year — a figure that critics of the formula say highlights a mismatch between the state’s stated priorities and what public schools actually receive.
Greg Wilson, whose role was not further specified in session materials, summed up the core tension: “No one disagrees that our funding formula is outdated. There’s also a consensus that it lacks flexibility for our schools to meet their local student needs.”
Senate Majority Leader Lori Den Hartog, R-Meridian, was among the lawmakers who observed the session. Rep. Soñia Galaviz and Sen. Carrie Semmelroth, both Democrats from Boise, also attended. The bipartisan presence reflected the broad recognition that school funding reform has been delayed far too long — even as lawmakers have struggled to agree on what shape any solution should take.
For local families navigating schools in Twin Falls County and across the Magic Valley, funding formula changes could have direct consequences for classroom resources, special education staffing, and district budgets. Coverage of how Idaho’s school policies affect local students continues at East Junior High in Twin Falls, where leadership students are working to reshape school culture from the ground up.
What Comes Next
Critchfield plans to conduct additional listening sessions at locations across Idaho before the department finalizes its proposed legislation. The goal is to ensure that voices from rural districts, urban schools, and communities with specialized student populations all shape the rewrite. The Department of Education is expected to produce a draft bill for legislative consideration ahead of the next session, with an accompanying analysis of how the revised formula would affect funding levels in individual districts across the state. Whether that draft gains traction in the Legislature — where previous reform attempts have stalled — remains to be seen.