This bill seeks to reform the funding structure for public education facilities in Idaho by repealing existing sections related to the School Safety and Health Revolving Loan and Grant Fund and the Public School Facilities Cooperative Funding Program. It introduces a new section, 33-1017, which establishes the Public Education Facilities Fund, designed to provide need-based grants to school districts for the construction, remodeling, and maintenance of school facilities that support their core educational mission, explicitly excluding facilities with a primary athletic purpose. The management of this fund will be under the Office of the State Board of Education, which will oversee the grant application process for school districts. Additionally, the bill includes provisions for transferring unobligated cash from the Public School Facilities Cooperative Fund to the new Public Education Facilities Fund, effective July 1, 2025.

The legislation also amends several sections of Idaho Code concerning financial emergencies in school districts and the state supervision of local school districts. It allows the board of trustees to declare a financial emergency after a hearing, granting them the authority to implement reductions in force, freeze salaries, and suspend contracts, while ensuring that payments under the foundation program remain unaffected. The bill modifies the process for state supervision by removing the state board of education's role in appointing a district supervisor, transferring that authority to the superintendent of public instruction. It also stipulates that if a school district willfully violates safety provisions, the state superintendent may withhold funds necessary for repairs, capped at 1.5% of the district's appropriation. The bill declares an emergency, making certain sections effective immediately upon passage, while others will take effect on January 1, 2026.

Statutes affected:
Bill Text: 33-1017, 33-909, 33-909A, 67-5771A, 33-1613, 6-2212, 39-8011