33-1003. SPECIAL APPLICATION OF EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT PROGRAM. (1) Decrease in Average Daily Attendance. — For any school district that has a decrease in total average daily attendance of three percent (3%) or more of its average daily attendance in the current school year from the total average daily attendance used for determining the allowance in the educational support program for the prior school year, the allowance of funds from the educational support program may be based on the average daily attendance of the prior school year, less three percent (3%). When this provision is applied, the decrease in average daily attendance shall be proportionately distributed among the various categories of support units that are appropriate for the district. After applying the provisions of this subsection, the state department of education shall calculate the percentage of additional statewide support units to total statewide support units and shall then reduce each school district’s support units by this uniform percentage. The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to public charter schools.

(2) Application of Support Program to Separate Schools/Attendance Units in District.

(a) Separate Elementary School. — Any separate elementary school shall be allowed to participate in the educational support program as though the school were the only elementary school operated by the district.

(b) Hardship Elementary School. — Upon application of the board of trustees of a school district, the state board of education is empowered to determine that a given elementary school or elementary schools within the school district, not otherwise qualifying, are entitled to be counted as a separate elementary school as defined in section 33-1001, Idaho Code, when, in the discretion of the state board of education, special conditions exist warranting the retention of the school as a separate attendance unit and the retention results in a substantial increase in cost per pupil in average daily attendance above the average cost per pupil in average daily attendance of the remainder of the district’s elementary grade school pupils. An elementary school operating as a previously approved hardship elementary school shall continue to be considered as a separate attendance unit, unless the hardship status of the elementary school is rescinded by the state board of education.

(c) Separate Secondary School. — Any separate secondary school shall be allowed to participate in the educational support program as though the school were the only secondary school operated by the district.

(d) Elementary/Secondary School Attendance Units. — Elementary grades in an elementary/secondary school will be funded as a separate attendance unit if all elementary grades served are located more than ten (10) miles distance by an all-weather road from both the nearest like elementary grades within the same school district and from the location of the office of the superintendent of schools of such district, or from the office of the chief administrative officer of such district if the district employs no superintendent of schools. Secondary grades in an elementary/secondary school will be funded as a separate attendance unit if all secondary grades served are located more than fifteen (15) miles by an all-weather road from the nearest like secondary grades operated by the district.

(e) Hardship Secondary School. — Any district that operated two (2) secondary schools separated by less than fifteen (15) miles, but which district was created through consolidation subsequent to legislative action pursuant to chapter 111, laws of 1947, and which school buildings were constructed prior to 1935, shall be entitled to count the schools as separate attendance units.

(f) Minimum Pupils Required. — Any elementary school having less than ten (10) pupils in average daily attendance shall not be allowed to participate in the state or county support program unless the school has been approved for operation by the state board of education.

(3) Remote Schools. — The board of trustees of any Idaho school district that operates and maintains a school that is remote and isolated from the other schools of the state because of geographical or topographical conditions may petition the state board of education to recognize and approve the school as a remote and necessary school. The petition shall be in form and content approved by the state board of education and shall provide such information as the state board of education may require. Petitions for the recognition of a school as a remote and necessary school shall be filed annually at least ninety (90) days prior to the date of the regular June meeting of the board of trustees.

Within forty-five (45) days after the receipt of a petition for the recognition of a remote and necessary school, the state board of education shall either approve or disapprove the petition and notify the board of trustees of its decision. Schools that the state board of education approves as being necessary and remote shall be allowed adequate funding within the support program for an acceptable educational program for the students of the school. In the case of a remote and necessary secondary school, grades 7-12, the educational program shall be deemed acceptable when, in the opinion of the state board of education, the accreditation standard relating to staff size, established in accordance with the provisions of section 33-119, Idaho Code, has been met. The final determination of an acceptable program and adequate funding in the case of a remote and necessary elementary school shall be made by the state board of education.

(4) Support Program When District Boundaries are Changed.

(a) In new districts formed by the division of a district, the support program computed for the district, divided in its last year of operation, shall be apportioned to the new districts created by the division in the proportion that the average daily attendance of pupils, elementary and secondary combined, residing in the area of each new district so created, is to the average daily attendance of all pupils, elementary and secondary combined, in the district divided in its last year of operation before the division.

(b) When boundaries of districts are changed by excision or annexation of territory, the support program of any district from which territory is excised for the last year of operation before such excision shall be divided, and apportioned among the districts involved, as prescribed in paragraph (a) of this subsection.

(c) In new districts formed by consolidation of former districts after January 1, 2007, the support program allowance, for a seven (7) year period following the formation of the new district, shall not be less than the combined support program allowances of the component districts in the last year of operation before consolidation. After the expiration of this period, the state department of education shall annually calculate the number of support units that would have been generated had the previous school districts not consolidated. All applicable state funding to the consolidated district shall then be provided based on a support unit number that is halfway between this figure and the actual support units, provided that it cannot be less than the actual support units.

History:

[33-1003, added 2013, ch. 184, sec. 2, p. 441; am. 2018, ch. 164, sec. 7, p. 326.]