State Superintendent of Public Instruction Debbie Critchfield is taking her push to modernize Idaho’s school funding formula directly to the public, hosting a series of in-person and virtual listening sessions across the state this month.

The sessions are open to community members and education stakeholders who want to weigh in on how the state distributes funding to public schools. Idaho’s funding formula allocates billions of dollars annually to school districts, but has not seen a substantial update since the 1990s. Efforts to reform it have circulated in the Legislature for more than a decade with little to show for it.

Critchfield has advocated for a weighted student funding model — one that directs resources based on individual student characteristics such as demographics and learning needs. That approach is part of a broader conversation about the direction of Idaho’s public education system.

During the 2026 legislative session, the Idaho Senate passed a concurrent resolution directing the Department of Education to draft updated funding legislation and assess the fiscal impact on individual districts. The resolution stalled in the House, but the department is pressing ahead with a formula rewrite regardless.

The listening sessions are scheduled as follows:

• Boise — June 4, 6–8 p.m., Lincoln Auditorium, Idaho State Capitol

• Idaho Falls — June 11, 6–8 p.m., College of Eastern Idaho, main boardroom

• Coeur d’Alene — June 18, 6–8 p.m., Coeur d’Alene School District, Midtown Meeting Center

• Virtual — June 25, 6–8 p.m.

The funding debate comes alongside continued financial pressure on local districts. Earlier this year, Idaho school districts sought a combined $183 million from voters through May ballot measures to supplement state allocations.