Bill Description: House Bill 741 (S1339) would allow certain non-virtual charter schools increased autonomy over spending and exempt them from various reporting requirements. 

Rating: +1

Does it expand the government's bureaucratic monopoly on education, reduce family and student choice, or finance education based on an institution or system? Conversely, does it reduce government coercion in education, expand education choice, or finance education based on the student rather than the institution?

H741 would allow non-virtual charter schools with above-state average growth or proficiency on the Idaho standards achievement test to “spend its allocated state funding, including but not limited to discretionary funds, categorical funds, and salary apportionment, in the manner it deems best serves students and the public charter school.”

Participating charter schools will also be exempt from various statutory and rule-based reporting requirements, including those “pursuant to sections 33-119, 33-1002, 33-1002B, 34 33-1004E, 33-1007, 33-1405, 33-1805, 33-1811, and 33-2004, Idaho Code, 35.”

Public charter schools are a core feature of education choice. H741 thus advances education choice by granting above-average performing charter schools increased autonomy over their spending and freeing them from unnecessary and burdensome administrative requirements. 

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