New Rules May Dictate Less Funding For School Districts

State funding for online course providers would vary greatly among school districts under Idaho’s new education changes.

Online course providers could, in some cases, tap more state funding from smaller school districts because they receive more money per student under Idaho’s funding formula.   The state adopted new education changes this year that will allow high school students to enroll in any state-approved online class starting next fall.   The company that provides the course is then entitled to two-thirds of the state funding sent to school district for the student for that class. The funding amounts that company could collect range from $210 for a student in Boise, the state’s population center, to $733 for a student in Midvale, a town of less than 200 residents.