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What We Learned at the SB1188 Hearing — And Why the Senate Must Kill It

Yesterday's hearing on SB1188 made one thing painfully clear: this is a deeply flawed and dangerous bill. It must be killed in the 14th Order — not amended.

We learned directly from the Director of Idaho Home Learning Academy (IHLA) — the very school targeted by this bill — that there are no guarantees they will be approved by the Charter Commission. In fact, if this bill passes, IHLA and many other district-run online programs will be forced to compete for approval, with no certainty their applications will be accepted.

The IHLA director warned that leaving their current district status without a guaranteed charter approval puts thousands of students at risk, especially rural and medically fragile children. If the Charter Commission says no, what happens to those students?

This bill doesn’t solve a problem — it creates a massive one.

Why SB1188 Must Be Stopped

  • No guarantees for schools: Charter Commission approval is not automatic, and competition will be fierce.

  • Removes parent choice: Virtual students would lose cross-district enrollment options that in-person students still have.

  • Rolls back Governor Little's conservative reforms: The bill revives bureaucracy and state micromanagement — exactly what we eliminated just last year.

  • Unfunded mandate: The Charter Commission will need a contracts expert, a virtual oversight team, and a new system — none of which exist today.

  • No leadership at the Commission: They have no permanent director, just lost their finance officer, and are in no position to expand.

Take Action Now

The Senate could act as soon as tomorrow to amend or vote on SB1188 in the 14th Order. We cannot let this bill move forward.

📢 Tell your Senator: Kill SB1188. Do not amend it.

🔗 Contact the full Senate here: https://www.idchartercoalition.org/news/2025/3/22/virtual-school-parent-contact-list-for-sb-1176-and-its-even-worse-replacement-bill-tba

We’re in the final hours. Make your voice heard before it’s too late.

#NoOnSB1188 #ProtectSchoolChoice #LetParentsChoose

📝 SB1188 Is a Death Blow to Virtual Education in Idaho

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📝 SB1188 Is a Death Blow to Virtual Education in Idaho

While the world moves forward, Idaho is turning its back on 30,000 students.

On Monday, the Idaho Legislature introduced Senate Bill 1188 — a replacement for SB1176 that may be even worse than the original.

Let’s be clear:
This bill is a direct attack on Idaho’s 30,000 virtual students.

If you’re a family that chose virtual education — through a district-run online program, a virtual public charter school, or even a homeschool model built on digital learning — this bill changes everything. And not for the better.

What’s in the bill?

  • It bans open enrollment across district lines for students attending a virtual program

  • It forces families to stay in-district for online school, even though they can cross district lines for in-person school

  • It requires virtual schools to apply to the charter commission to serve out-of-district students — a grueling, uncertain process with no guarantees

  • It hands power to unelected bureaucrats, stripping decision-making from local school boards and parents

  • It reverses the education reforms passed in 2024 that were designed to increase school choice and cut red tape

Idaho Just Drew a Line:

If you choose digital learning, your rights don’t count.

That’s the message families across the state are hearing. We’ve already heard from multiple school leaders:

“This is a death blow to our school.”
“We are very concerned for our students and their families.”

Districts are scrambling. Virtual school leaders are trying to understand what happens next. And thousands of families are left wondering where their children will go to school next fall.

The Result?

  • Closed schools

  • Fewer options for parents

  • Thousands of displaced students

  • A rollback of educational innovation while the rest of the country moves forward

While other states expand digital access, career-tech integration, and hybrid learning, Idaho is choosing more red tape, less flexibility, and fewer choices for families.

Families Deserve Better

This bill is an insult to every parent who made the bold decision to choose something different — something that works.

It tells them:
We don’t trust you. And we don’t care what your child needs.

Take Action Now

📣 Contact the bill sponsors directly:

Ask them why they are sponsoring a bill that destabilizes virtual education and displaces thousands of students. Tell them your story.

👉 Read the full bill here: HERE

👉 Contact your own lawmakers and the Senate Education Committee: HERE

Don’t let them destroy what you chose.
This is your child. Your voice. Your fight.

Who Should Decide Your Child’s Education — You, or the State?

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Here’s the bill: S 1176

Why S1176 is more than a bill — it’s a test of whether Idaho still trusts parents.

If you're a parent who made the courageous, intentional decision to choose virtual education for your child — you're not alone. Thousands of families across Idaho have walked that same path.

Some of us chose virtual charter schools. Others turned to district-run online programs. A few built homeschool routines around digital tools. But what unites us is this:

We didn’t choose the default.
We chose what worked best for our child.

Now, Senator Dave Lent (R–Idaho Falls) and Representative Sonia Galaviz (D–Boise) are pushing legislation that says they know better than you. Senate Bill 1176, and a secret replacement bill now being drafted, would dismantle everything parents and local leaders fought so hard to build.

The State Wants Control. But You Already Earned It.

  • Gut funding for virtual programs
  • Strip local school boards of the authority to serve their own communities
  • Hand control back to a bloated state bureaucracy that’s hostile to online learning

This isn’t reform. It’s punishment.
It’s a message to families who chose differently:
Sit down, shut up, and get back in line.

And let’s be clear — the Public Charter School Commission that would take over oversight? It’s been through five executive directors in two years and still doesn’t have stable leadership. It’s not prepared. And it doesn’t care about your child’s unique learning needs.

This Isn’t Just About Policy — It’s About Trust.

This is about whether we still believe parents are capable of making the best decisions for their children.

Governor Brad Little believed that when he signed the 2024 charter school reform package into law — reforms that increased local control and expanded school choice.

Now those gains are under attack.

So we’ll ask again:

Who should decide your child’s education?
You?
Your local school board?
Or a group of unelected bureaucrats in Boise who’ve never set foot in your home, met your child, or understood your family’s needs?

Take Action Now.

Lawmakers need to hear your story.
Click below to contact your senator and the Senate Education Committee. Tell them:

  • You’re a parent in their district
  • You chose this model because it works
  • You strongly oppose S1176 and any attempt to bring it back under a new name

➡️ Contact Lawmakers Now

You can also email your concerns directly to bill sponsors:
Senator Dave Lent – dlent@senate.idaho.gov
Rep. Lori Galaviz – lgalaviz@house.idaho.gov

Our message is simple:
If you don’t trust parents, you don’t belong in public office.

Let’s stop S1176 — and any version of it — now.

Why SB1176 and its (tba) Replacement Is Bad for Online Learners

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Here’s the bill: S 1176

A government power grab is underway — and it puts your child’s education at risk.

Last year, we worked with Idaho Governor Brad Little and his staff to pass bold, conservative reforms that gave more power to local school boards and parents — not bureaucrats in Boise. These changes cut red tape, decentralized control, and made Idaho the school choice leader of America.

Now, Senate Bill 1176 — written by Democrats and backed by Speaker Mike Moyle and Superintendent Debbie Critchfield — threatens to undo all of that progress.

What would SB1176 do?

  • Gut funding for virtual schools
  • Strip local school boards of oversight
  • Hand full control to a dysfunctional, state-run commission in Boise that has gone through five directors in two years and still doesn’t have a permanent leader

This bill is not about helping students.
It’s about taking power away from families.

And worse — a secret replacement bill is already being drafted that could be even more extreme.

Tens of thousands of students are at risk:

  • 10,000+ students in district-run online programs
  • 10,000+ students in virtual charter schools
  • Thousands more homeschooled using online curriculum

These kids — especially those in rural or at-risk communities — could lose access to the education option that’s finally working for them.

Who’s behind this attack?

  • Superintendent Debbie Critchfield forced IHLA to leave its school district. Now she’s coming back for the kill shot — and taking down thousands of rural kids and unsuspecting virtual schools with it.
  • Speaker Mike Moyle is backing multiple bills to systematically dismantle virtual education from every direction.
  • Senator Dave Lent and Representative Sonia Galaviz proposed S 1176 without informing schools and programs of the devastating impact.

Together, they’re trying to reverse the school choice reforms Governor Brad Little signed into law last year — and hand control back to unelected bureaucrats who’ve never believed in online learning.

If you’re a parent — now is the time to act.

Tell lawmakers this is personal.
Tell them your child’s education isn’t a political bargaining chip.

📣 TAKE ACTION NOW:

Click the button below to contact lawmakers. Tell them:

  • You are a parent in their district
  • You chose online or virtual education because it works
  • You demand a NO vote on SB1176 and any replacement bill

➡️ Contact Lawmakers Now

This isn’t just policy. This is personal.
Let’s protect what we’ve built — and stand up for the families who depend on it.

Virtual School Parent Contact List for SB 1176 and it's even worse replacement bill S1188.

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Senator Name Phone Email
Ali Rabe208-332-1409ARabe@senate.idaho.gov
Ben Adams208-332-1336BAdams@senate.idaho.gov
Ben Toews208-332-1322BToews@senate.idaho.gov
Brandon Shippy208-332-1325BShippy@senate.idaho.gov
Brian Lenney208-332-1329BLenney@senate.idaho.gov
C. Scott Grow208-332-1334sgrow@senate.idaho.gov
Camille Blaylock208-332-1320CBlaylock@senate.idaho.gov
Carl Bjerke208-332-1421CBjerke@senate.idaho.gov
Carrie Semmelroth208-332-1352CSemmelroth@senate.idaho.gov
Christy Zito208-332-1344CZito@senate.idaho.gov
Cindy Carlson208-332-1355CCarlson@senate.idaho.gov
Codi Galloway208-332-1407CGalloway@senate.idaho.gov
Dan Foreman208-332-1405DForeman@senate.idaho.gov
Dave Lent (Bill Sponsor)208-332-1313dlent@senate.idaho.gov
Doug Okuniewicz208-332-1338DougO@house.idaho.gov
Doug Ricks208-332-1301dricks@senate.idaho.gov
Glenneda Zuiderveld208-332-1347GZuiderveld@senate.idaho.gov
James D. Ruchti208-332-1406JRuchti@senate.idaho.gov
Janie Ward-Engelking208-332-1425jwardengelking@senate.idaho.gov
Jim Guthrie208-332-1348jguthrie@senate.idaho.gov
Jim Woodward208-332-1349JWoodward@senate.idaho.gov
Josh Keyser208-332-1354JKeyser@senate.idaho.gov
Josh Kohl208-332-1318JKohl@senate.idaho.gov
Julie VanOrden208-332-1346JVanOrden@senate.idaho.gov
Kelly Anthon208-332-1327kanthon@senate.idaho.gov
Kevin Cook208-332-1358kcook@senate.idaho.gov
Lori Den Hartog208-332-1340ldenhartog@senate.idaho.gov
Mark Harris208-332-1429mharris@senate.idaho.gov
Melissa Wintrow208-332-1339MWintrow@senate.idaho.gov
Mike Moyle208-332-1111mmoyle@house.idaho.gov
Phil Hart208-332-1345Phil.Hart@senate.idaho.gov
Ron Taylor208-332-1353RTaylor@senate.idaho.gov
Sonia Galaviz (Bill Sponsor)208-332-1083sgalaviz@house.idaho.gov
Tammy Nichols208-332-1423TNichols@senate.idaho.gov
Todd Lakey208-332-1328tlakey@senate.idaho.gov
Treg Bernt208-332-1331TBernt@senate.idaho.gov
Van Burtenshaw208-332-1342VBurtenshaw@senate.idaho.gov

Add to your email your local legislators. Don’t know who they are? Find them here with your address.

📣 TAKE ACTION NOW:

Click the links to contact Senate Education Committee lawmakers (plus the bill sponsors, and use the button to find your local lawmakers). Tell them:

  • You are a parent in their district

  • You chose online or virtual education because it works

  • You demand a NO vote on SB1176 and S1188

➡️ Contact Lawmakers Now

Also contact bill sponsors directly and tell them to stop hurting kids:
Sonia Galaviz, D-Boise, 16; Sgalaviz@house.idaho.gov; House Education: 208-332-1083

Senator Dave Lent, R-Idaho Falls, 33; DLent@Senate.Idaho.gov; Senate Education: 208-332-1313

This isn’t just policy. This is personal.
Let’s protect what we’ve built — and stand up for the families who depend on it.