Public education in Idaho
| K-12 education in Idaho | |
 | |
| Education facts | |
| State superintendent: Debbie Critchfield | |
| Number of students: 289,480 | |
| Number of teachers: 16,147 | |
| Teacher/pupil ratio: 1:18 | |
| Number of school districts: 117 | |
| Number of schools: 705 | |
| Graduation rate: 81% | |
| Per-pupil spending: $8,272 | |
| See also | |
| Idaho State Department of Education • List of school districts in Idaho • Idaho • School boards portal | |
 | |
Public education in the United States Public education in Idaho Glossary of education terms | |
| Note: The statistics on this page are mainly from government sources, including the U.S. Census Bureau and the National Center for Education Statistics. Figures given were the most recent as of June 2015. | |
The Idaho public school system (prekindergarten through grade 12) operates within districts governed by locally elected school boards and superintendents. In 2022, Idaho had 289,480 students enrolled in a total of 705 schools in 117 school districts. There were 16,147 teachers in the public schools, or roughly one teacher for every 18 students, compared to the national average of 1:16. In 2020, Idaho spent on average $8,272 per pupil.[1] The state's graduation rate was 81 percent in the 2018-2019 school year.[2]
General information
- See also: General comparison table for education statistics in the 50 states and Education spending per pupil in all 50 states
The following chart shows how Idaho compares to the national level for the most recent years for which data is available.
| Public education in Idaho | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Schools | Districts | Students | Teachers | Teacher-to-pupil ratio | Per pupil spending* | |
| Idaho | 705 | 117 | 289,480 | 16,147 | 1:18 | $8,272 | |
| United States | 90,323 | 13,194 | 47,755,383 | 2,783,705 | 1:16 | $13,494 | |
| *Per pupil spending data reflects information reported for fiscal year 2020. Sources: Education statistics in the United States | |||||||
Academic performance
The sections below do not contain the most recently published data on this subject. If you would like to help our coverage grow, consider donating to Ballotpedia.
| Education terms |
|---|
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| For more information on education policy terms, see this article. |
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NAEP scores
- See also: NAEP scores by state
The National Center for Education Statistics provides state-by-state data on student achievement levels in mathematics and reading in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The chart below presents the percentage of fourth and eighth grade students that scored at or above proficient in reading and math during school year 2012-2013. Compared to three neighboring states (Montana, Oregon and Washington), a smaller percentage of Idaho's students were considered at or above proficient in math and reading in fourth grade.[3]
| Percent of students scoring at or above proficient, 2012-2013 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Math - Grade 4 | Math - Grade 8 | Reading - Grade 4 | Reading - Grade 8 | |
| Idaho | 40% | 36% | 33% | 38% |
| Montana | 45% | 40% | 35% | 40% |
| Oregon | 40% | 34% | 33% | 37% |
| Washington | 48% | 42% | 40% | 42% |
| United States | 41% | 34% | 34% | 34% |
| Source: United States Department of Education, ED Data Express, "State Tables" | ||||
Graduation, ACT and SAT scores
The following table shows the graduation rates and average composite ACT and SAT scores for Idaho and surrounding states during the 2012-2013 school year. All statements made in this section refer to that school year.[3][4][5]
In the United States, public schools reported graduation rates that averaged to about 81.4 percent. About 54 percent of all students in the country took the ACT, while 50 percent reported taking the SAT. The average national composite scores for those tests were 20.9 out of a possible 36 for the ACT, and 1498 out of a possible 2400 for the SAT.[6]
Idaho schools did not report a regulatory adjusted cohort graduation rate during the 2012-2013 school year.
In Idaho, more students took the SAT than the ACT in 2013, earning an average SAT score of 1364.
| Comparison table for graduation rates and test scores, 2012-2013 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Graduation rate, 2013 | Average ACT composite, 2013 | Average SAT composite, 2013 | ||||
| Percent | Quintile ranking** | Score | Participation rate | Score | Participation rate | ||
| Idaho | N/A | N/A | 22.1 | 49% | 1364 | 99% | |
| Montana | 84.4% | Third | 21.3 | 72% | 1595 | 25% | |
| Oregon | 68.7% | Fifth | 21.5 | 34% | 1539 | 49% | |
| Washington | 76.4% | Fourth | 22.8 | 21% | 1537 | 60% | |
| United States | 81.4% | 20.9 | 54% | 1498 | 50% | ||
| **Graduation rates for states in the first quintile ranked in the top 20 percent nationally. Similarly, graduation rates for states in the fifth quintile ranked in the bottom 20 percent nationally. Sources: United States Department of Education, "ED Data Express" ACT.org, "2013 ACT National and State Scores" The Commonwealth Foundation, "SAT scores by state, 2013" | |||||||
Dropout rate
- See also: Public high school dropout rates by state for a full comparison of dropout rates by group in all states
The high school event dropout rate indicates the proportion of students who were enrolled at some time during the school year and were expected to be enrolled in grades nine through 12 in the following school year but were not enrolled by October 1 of the following school year. Students who have graduated, transferred to another school, died, moved to another country, or who are out of school due to illness are not considered dropouts. The average public high school event dropout rate for the United States remained constant at 3.3 percent for both school year 2010–2011 and school year 2011–2012. The event dropout rate for Idaho was lower than the national average at 1.6 percent in the 2010-2011 school year, and 1.9 percent in the 2011-2012 school year.[7]
Educational choice options
- See also: School choice in Idaho
As of June 2015, school choice options in Idaho included charter schools, homeschooling, online learning, private schools and inter-district and intra-district public school open enrollment policies.
Developments
Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue (2020)
On June 30, 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court decided Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, which concerned whether the government can exclude religious institutions from student-aid programs. The case related to Article X, Section 6 of the Montana Constitution, also known as Montana’s Blaine Amendment.[8]
In its 5-4 opinion, the court held that the application of Article X, Section 6 violated the free exercise clause of the U.S. Constitution. The majority held Article X, Section 6 barred religious schools and parents who wished to send their children to those schools from receiving public benefits because of the religious character of the school.[9]
The case addressed the tension between the free exercise and Establishment clauses of the U.S. Constitution—where one guarantees the right of individuals' free exercise of religion and the other guarantees that the state won't establish a religion—and the intersections of state constitutions with state law and with the U.S. Constitution.
Idaho is one of the states with a Blaine Amendment.
Education funding and expenditures
- See also: Idaho state budget and finances
Source: National Association of State Budget Officers
According to the National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO), states spent an average of 19.8 percent of their total budgets on elementary and secondary education during fiscal year 2013. In addition, the United States Census Bureau found that approximately 45.6 percent of the country's school system revenue came from state sources, while about 45.3 percent came from local sources. The remaining portion of school system revenue came from federal sources.[10][11]
Idaho spent approximately 24.2 percent of its budget on elementary and secondary education during fiscal year 2013. The state school systems' revenue came primarily from state funds. Idaho spent a greater percentage of its total budget on education than any of its neighboring states.
| Comparison of financial figures for school systems, fiscal year 2013 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Percentage of budget | Per pupil spending | Revenue sources | ||||
| Percent federal funds | Percent state funds | Percent local funds | |||||
| Idaho | 24.2% | $6,791 | 11.8% | 63.4% | 24.7% | ||
| Montana | 15.5% | $10,625 | 12.8% | 47.7% | 39.5% | ||
| Oregon | 14.3% | $9,543 | 7.8% | 50.5% | 41.7% | ||
| Washington | 23.4% | $9,672 | 8.6% | 58.9% | 32.5% | ||
| United States | 19.8% | $10,700 | 9.1% | 45.6% | 45.3% | ||
| Sources: NASBO, "State Expenditure Report" (Table 8). U.S. Census Bureau, "Public Education Finances: 2013, Economic Reimbursable Surveys Division Reports" (Table 5 and Table 8). | |||||||
Revenue breakdowns
- See also: Public school system revenues in the U.S. to compare all states.
According to the United States Census Bureau, public school system revenues totaled approximately $598 billion in fiscal year 2013.[11]
In Idaho, the primary source of school system revenue was state funding, at $1.3 billion. Idaho's total revenue was the second lowest when compared to its neighboring states.
| Revenues by source, fiscal year 2013 (amounts in thousands) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Federal revenue | State revenue | Local revenue | Total revenue |
| Idaho | $238,656 | $1,278,155 | $498,783 | $2,015,594 |
| Montana | $210,593 | $788,329 | $652,713 | $1,651,635 |
| Oregon | $471,682 | $3,041,825 | $2,508,173 | $6,021,680 |
| Washington | $1,042,200 | $7,160,395 | $3,947,651 | $12,150,246 |
| United States | $54,367,305 | $272,916,892 | $270,645,402 | $597,929,599 |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "Public Education Finances: 2013, Economic Reimbursable Surveys Division Reports" (Table 1) | ||||
Expenditure breakdowns
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, public school system expenditures totaled approximately $602 billion in fiscal year 2012.[12] Public education expenditures in Idaho totaled approximately $2.1 billion in fiscal year 2012. Idaho's total expenditures were the second lowest when compared to its neighboring states.
| Expenditures by type, fiscal year 2012 (amounts in thousands) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | General expenditures | Capital outlay | Other | Total expenditures |
| Idaho | $1,854,556 | $135,343 | $62,396 | $2,052,295 |
| Montana | $1,504,531 | $120,771 | $29,324 | $1,654,625 |
| Oregon | $5,389,273 | $448,212 | $341,375 | $6,178,860 |
| Washington | $10,054,077 | $1,545,989 | $452,833 | $12,052,898 |
| United States | $527,096,473 | $48,773,386 | $25,897,123 | $601,766,981 |
| Source: National Center for Education Statistics, "Revenues and Expenditures for Public Elementary and Secondary Education: School Year 2011–12 (Fiscal Year 2012)" (Table 5) | ||||
Personnel salaries
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the average national salary for classroom teachers in public elementary and secondary schools declined by 1.3 percent from the 1999-2000 school year to the 2012-2013 school year. During the same period in Idaho, the average salary increased by 2.4 percent.[14]
| Estimated average salaries for teachers (in constant dollars**) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999-2000 | 2009-2010 | 2011-2012 | 2012-2013 | Percent difference | |
| Idaho | $48,578 | $49,404 | $49,359 | $49,734 | 2.4% |
| Montana | $43,896 | $48,845 | $49,354 | $49,999 | 13.9% |
| Oregon | $57,856 | $58,948 | $58,302 | $58,758 | 1.6% |
| Washington | $56,089 | $56,578 | $53,101 | $53,571 | -4.5% |
| United States | $57,133 | $58,925 | $56,340 | $56,383 | -1.3% |
| **"Constant dollars based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI), prepared by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, adjusted to a school-year basis. The CPI does not account for differences in inflation rates from state to state." | |||||
Organizations
State agencies
The Idaho State Department of Education oversees and manages public schools for students from kindergarten to 12th grade in Idaho. The department has nine education divisions: Assessment and Accountability Division, Child Nutrition, Content, Elementary and Secondary Education Act, School Choice, Statewide System of Support, Student Engagement and Postsecondary Readiness, Special Education and Teacher Certification. As of June 2015, Sherri Ybarra was first sworn in as the Superintendent of Public Instruction in 2015.[15][16]
The mission statement of the Idaho State Department of Education reads:[17]
| “ | The Idaho State Department of Education is accountable for the success of all Idaho students. As leaders in education, we provide the expertise and technical assistance to promote educational excellence and highly effective instruction.[18] | ” |
The Idaho State Board of Education oversees and manages higher education in Idaho.[15]
Unions
In 2012, the Fordham Institute and Education Reform Now assessed the power and influence of state teacher unions in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Their rankings were based on 37 different variables in five broad areas: resources and membership, involvement in politics, scope of bargaining, state policies and perceived influence. Idaho ranked 36th overall for union power and influence, or "weak", which was in the fourth tier of five.[19]
The main union related to the Idaho school system is the Idaho Education Association (IEA), an affiliate of the National Education Association (NEA). IEA is the largest education association in the state.
List of local Idaho school unions:[20]
- Idaho Education Association
- Pocatello Education Association
- Boise Education Association
- Meridian Education Association
- Blackfoot Education Association
- Bonneville Education Association
Collective bargaining and tenure
The Idaho State Legislature passed Senate Bill 1108, which limited teachers' collective bargaining rights to salary and benefits.[21] It removed issues such as class sizes, teacher workload and promotions from collective bargaining, and it permitted collective bargaining only if the union could prove it represented more than 50 percent of employees.[21][22] It eliminated tenure for new teachers, with new educators instead being offered one- or two-year contracts following a three-year probationary period.[23]
The entire overhaul plan eliminated 770 teaching positions but used $250 million to raise pay for teachers. Governor Butch Otter supported the measures.[24]
The Idaho Education Association warned the plan would drastically cut the ability of unions to bargain.[24][25] Hundreds of teachers protested the bills on February 21, 2011.[22]
Government sector lobbying
- See also: Idaho government sector lobbying
The main education government sector lobbying organization is the Idaho School Boards Association.
Transparency
In March 2010, the Idaho State Senate and Idaho House of Representatives approved a bill that required school districts with more than 300 students to publish their school spending data.[26] The Idaho State Department of Education does list information regarding the state's academic performance at the state, district and school levels.
Studies and reports
Quality Counts 2014
- See also: Education Week survey
Education Week, a publication that reports on many education issues throughout the country, began using an evaluation system in 1997 to grade each state on various elements of education performance. This system, called Quality Counts, uses official data on performance from each state to generate report cards for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The report card in 2014 uses six different categories:
- Chance for success
- K-12 achievement
- Standards, assessments and accountability
- The teaching profession
- School finance
- Transitions and alignment
Each of these six categories had a number of other elements that received individual scores. Those scores were then averaged and used to determine the final score in each category. Every state received two types of scores for each of the six major categories: A numerical score out of 100 and a letter grade based on that score. Education Week used the score for the first category, "chance for success," as the value for ranking each state and the District of Columbia. The average grade received in the entire country was 77.3, or a C+ average. The country's highest average score was in the category of "standards, assessments and accountability" at 85.3, or a B average. The lowest average score was in "K-12 achievement", at 70.2, or a C- average.
Idaho received a score of 74.2, or a C average in the "chance for success" category. This was below the national average. The state's highest score was in "standards, assessments and accountability" at 86.6, or a B+ average. The lowest score was in "school finance" at 60.0, or a D average. The "teaching profession" category nearly matched the state's lowest score, at 60.5. The chart below displays the scores of Idaho and its surrounding states.[27]
Note: Click on a column heading to sort the data.
| Public education report cards, 2014 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Chance for success | K-12 achievement | Standards, assessments and accountability | The teaching profession | School finance | Transitions and alignment |
| Idaho | 74.2 (C) | 69.8 (C-) | 86.6 (B+) | 60.5 (D-) | 60.0 (D-) | 71.4 (C-) |
| Montana | 76.3 (C) | 69.7 (C-) | 76.3 (C) | 69.4 (D+) | 73.0 (C) | 60.7 (D-) |
| Oregon | 74.6 (C) | 64.8 (D) | 80.1 (B-) | 63.5 (D) | 71.0 (C-) | 85.7 (B) |
| Washington | 79.5 (B-) | 74.9 (C) | 79.1 (C+) | 71.4 (C-) | 71.6 (C-) | 71.4 (C-) |
| United States | 77.3 (C+) | 70.2 (C-) | 85.3 (B) | 72.5 (C) | 75.5 (C) | 81.1 (B-) |
| Source: Education Week, "Quality Counts 2014" A full discussion of how these numbers were generated can be found here. | ||||||
State Budget Solutions education study
State Budget Solutions examined national trends in education from 2009 to 2011, including state-by-state analysis of education spending, graduation rates and average ACT scores. The study showed that the states that spent the most did not have the highest average ACT test scores, nor did they have the highest average graduation rates. A summary of the study is available here. The full report can be accessed here.
School districts
- See also: School board elections portal
District types
School districts in Idaho are split into five categories: elementary school districts, school districts (city/county), joint school districts, specially chartered school districts and junior college districts. Elementary school districts are considered grades one through eight and school districts grades one through 12. All school districts may include kindergarten instruction. There no separate secondary school districts under present law.[28]
School board composition
School board members are elected by residents of the school district. School boards in Idaho generally consist of five members that serve four-year terms. However, there is no state law denoting how many board members a district may have or how long the terms need be.[29]
Term limits
Idaho does not impose statewide term limits on school board members.[30]
Elections
- See also: Idaho school board elections, 2024
The table below contains links to all school board elections covered by Ballotpedia in 2024 in this state. This list may not include all school districts with elections in 2024. Ballotpedia's coverage includes all school districts in the 100 largest cities by population and the 200 largest school districts by student enrollment.
Editor's note: Some school districts choose to cancel the primary election, or both the primary and general election, if the number of candidates who filed does not meet a certain threshold. The table below does not reflect which primary or general elections were canceled. Please click through to each school district's page for more information.
| 2024 Idaho School Board Elections | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District | Primary | General Election | General Runoff Election | Regular term length | Seats up for election | Total board seats | 2017-2018 enrollment |
| Boise School District | N/A | 9/3/2024 | N/A | 6 | 5 | 7 | 26,242 |
Path to the ballot
Under law, any registered Idaho voter may seek election to the school board in the district in which the voter resides if requirements of the law are met. Qualifications for board members are decided by the district and not the state, however, most districts require candidates be:[31]
- A citizen of the United States.
- A registered elector of the school district.
- 18 years of age or older.
- A resident of the trustee zone which he/she shall represent for 30 days.
Campaign finance
Idaho does not impose campaign finance guidelines for school board candidates at the state level. Guidelines for reporting are generally set forth by the county or district itself.[32]
Recent legislation
The following is a list of recent education bills that have been introduced in or passed by the Idaho state legislature. To learn more about each of these bills, click the bill title. This information is provided by BillTrack50 and LegiScan.
- Note: Due to the nature of the sorting process used to generate this list, some results may not be relevant to the topic. If no bills are displayed below, no legislation pertaining to this topic has been introduced in the legislature recently.
Education ballot measures
- See also: Education on the ballot and List of Idaho ballot measures
Ballotpedia has tracked the following statewide ballot measures relating to education.
- Idaho Increase Funding for Education Initiative, Initiative 1 (2006)
- Idaho Public School Fund, HJR 1 (2000)
- Idaho Public School Permanent Endowment Fund, HJR 6 (1998)
- Idaho Public School Permanent Endowment Fund, HJR 8 (1998)
- Idaho Fund for School Districts, SJR 106 (1998)
- Idaho University of Idaho Tuition and Fees, SJR 101 (2010)
- Idaho Teachers' Collective Bargaining Veto Referendums, Props. 1 and 2 (2) (2012)
- Idaho Online Learning Veto Referendum, Proposition 3 (2012)
- Idaho General Supervision of Educational Institutions, HJR 30 (1912)
- Idaho Increase Annual Sale of School Land, HJR 10 (1920)
- Idaho Compulsory School Attendance, SJR 124 (1972)
In the news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Idaho education policy. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
- Historical public education information in Idaho
- Idaho state budget and finances
- Idaho State Department of Education
- List of school districts in Idaho
- School choice in Idaho
- Charter schools in Idaho
- Idaho
- Education Policy in the U.S.
External links
- Idaho Department of Education
- Idaho Board of Education
- Idaho Public Charter School Commission
- Idaho School Choice
- Idaho State Report Card
- Idaho Public School Budget
- Idaho School Data and Statistics
- Idaho State School Ratings by PSK12
- Idaho School Ratings by Great Schools
Footnotes
- ↑ United States Census Bureau, "U.S. School System Current Spending Per Pupil by Region: Fiscal Year 2020," May 18, 2022
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Fast Facts: High school graduation rates," accessed September 28, 2022
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 United States Department of Education, ED Data Express, "State Tables," accessed May 13, 2014
- ↑ ACT, "2012 ACT National and State Scores," accessed May 13, 2014
- ↑ Commonwealth Foundation, "SAT Scores by State 2013," October 10, 2013
- ↑ StudyPoints, "What's a good SAT score or ACT score?" accessed June 7, 2015
- ↑ United States Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, "Common Core of Data (CCD), State Dropout and Graduation Rate Data File, School Year 2010-11, Provision Version 1a and School Year 2011-12, Preliminary Version 1a," accessed May 13, 2014
- ↑ Supreme Court of the United States, Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue: "Petition for a writ of certiorari," accessed July 3, 2019
- ↑ Supreme Court of the United States, Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, decided June 30, 2020
- ↑ NASBO, "State Expenditure Report," accessed July 2, 2015
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 U.S. Census Bureau, "Public Education Finances: 2013, Economic Reimbursable Surveys Division Reports," accessed July 2, 2015
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Revenues and Expenditures for Public Elementary and Secondary Education: School Year 2011–12 (Fiscal Year 2012)," accessed July 2, 2015
- ↑ Maciver Institute, "REPORT: How much are teachers really paid?" accessed October 29, 2014
- ↑ United States Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, "Table 211.60. Estimated average annual salary of teachers in public elementary and secondary schools, by state: Selected years, 1969-70 through 2012-13," accessed May 13, 2014
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Idaho State Department of Education, "Communication," accessed May 20, 2014
- ↑ Idaho State Department of Education, "Divisions," accessed May 20, 2014
- ↑ Idaho State Department of Education, "Vision, Mission and Goals," accessed May 20, 2014
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Thomas E Fordham Institute, "How Strong Are U.S. Teacher Unions? A State-By-State Comparison," October 29, 2012
- ↑ Center for Union Facts, "Idaho teachers unions," accessed October 15, 2009
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 FoxNews.com, "Idaho Votes to Phase Out Teacher Tenure, Restrict Collective Bargaining," March 9, 2011
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 Reuters, "Idaho teachers unions protest against proposed cuts," February 22, 2011
- ↑ FoxNews.com, "Idaho Cripples Union Power," March 9, 2011
- ↑ 24.0 24.1 All Headline News, "Idaho teachers protest proposed overhaul," February 22, 2011
- ↑ Idaho Education Association, "Despite public opposition, Luna bills go to full Senate," February 18, 2011
- ↑ Idaho Reporter, "School financial transparency bill passes House," March 24, 2010
- ↑ Education Week "Quality Counts 2014," accessed February 19, 2015
- ↑ United States Census, "Idaho," accessed July 10, 2014
- ↑ State of Idaho, "Idaho Statutes," accessed July 10, 2014
- ↑ New York Times, "Idaho Legislature Repeals Term Limit Law, Undoing Voter-Approved Measure," February 2, 2002
- ↑ SD 365, "Board Member Policies," accessed July 10, 2014
- ↑ Idaho Secretary of State, "Idaho," accessed July 10, 2014
