As a child, I attended a small public school. Our junior high and high school shared the same building, my graduating class was a record-high fifty students, and the construction of the new gym during my junior year was a jubilee event. While I loved the small-town feel, one caveat was that we lacked the resources of larger schools. Our foreign language choices were limited to Spanish or French, our concert band doubled as the pep band and even marched on occasion, and I never did get the chance to play soccer for my school.
The internet was still in its infancy at that time, but even then we could see its potential to expand opportunities for small schools like mine. The Idaho Legislature saw those opportunities as well, creating the Idaho Digital Learning Academy (IDLA) in 2002. Its stated purpose was to provide choice, accessibility, and quality to all public high-school students, no matter where they lived or how large their school or district might be.
The IDLA is an odd duck, as far as government programs go. It is an accredited online school in its own right, but it doesn’t issue diplomas. It was created by the state, but it is not a formal state agency. It is funded partly by course fees charged to schools and partly through legislative appropriations. Its board of directors includes public school superintendents, private-sector representatives, and State Superintendent Debbie Critchfield. It even refers to itself as the Idaho Digital Learning Alliance, even though statute refers to it as the Idaho Digital Learning Academy.
Once a school district registers with IDLA, students can sign up for online classes through their regular school. Courses are taught by certified teachers, and grades are recorded in the student’s school file. This allows students in rural districts that lack advanced placement classes, multiple foreign language options, or other specialized courses to access those offerings without having to relocate.
On paper, it sounds entirely reasonable. Yet two state senators raised questions about the program this week.
Sen. Brian Lenney began his recent post bluntly:
With an almost $26 million annual budget that has more than doubled since 2019 and virtually no oversight since its authorizing statute was last revised in 2008, IDLA has evolved into a side hustle for public school teachers who collect thousands of dollars in “unreported” income, often (allegedly) while they’re supposed to be teaching their regular classes.
Lenney went on to describe what he calls an “off-the-books” payment system in which public school teachers earn extra money teaching IDLA classes, including during times when they are scheduled to teach in person. He also questioned the value of the online courses, based on conversations with parents and students who have taken them. Take a few minutes to read his entire post.
Sen. Cindy Carlson wrote about her own concerns with IDLA yesterday, focusing on what she called the “double payment” problem:
Let me explain how this works because the numbers tell a clear story.
Your local school district receives state funding for every student through ADA (Average Daily Attendance) funding. Depending on district size and characteristics, this typically ranges from around $7,000 to over $20,000 per student, with an average around $8,000 to $10,000. This money is meant to pay teachers, cover operational costs, and educate your children.
Here’s where it gets concerning: that same district can place your child in front of a computer during the school day to take an IDLA online course. The state then pays IDLA $445 for that course, separately from the ADA funding.
The district keeps their full $8,000+. IDLA receives their $445. Your child gets a screen instead of a teacher in the classroom. And you, the Idaho taxpayer, just paid twice for the same student in the same course.
This is not good stewardship of taxpayer dollars.
According to Carlson, Rep. Wendy Horman—co-chair of the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee—has suggested that policy changes may be necessary to ensure taxpayers are not paying twice for the same student. However, IDLA has apparently refused Horman’s requests for more detailed information. Carlson also noted that private-sector online courses cost around $150, while the total cost for IDLA’s offerings exceeds $500. She asks whether this is a program that could be handled more efficiently outside of government.
Take the time to read Sen. Carlson’s entire post as well.
So what can be done? What options might the 2026 Legislature consider? Sen. Carlson laid out three goals:
I am committed to:
- Requiring real accountability and oversight for IDLA
- Ensuring that if we fund online learning, and do so efficiently and transparently
- Protecting the hard-earned dollars of Idaho taxpayers
Sen. Lenney offered his own suggestions:
The fix isn’t complicated:
Maybe we should just stop letting full-time public school teachers teach IDLA courses during school hours… if they want the extra income, fine, but do it on your own time, and require that IDLA payments be reported as part of salary data so the legislature knows what teachers are actually making.
Maybe we change the funding model… let the entity that benefits pay the cost, whether that’s a district paying from their operational budget, a family using Advanced Opportunities funds, or anyone else who wants to use IDLA. If IDLA is worth the price, people will pay, and if not, IDLA will need to deliver better value or adjust their pricing.
Maybe we stop double-paying… if a student is taking an IDLA course during the school day, the district shouldn’t get ADA funding for that student while IDLA also gets paid. Pick one.
Maybe just kill it overall… stop funding IDLA directly and let schools and families choose what works best for them.
Do you have personal experience with IDLA, or do you know anyone who does? What are your impressions? Lawmakers are beginning to ask questions, so changes are likely on the agenda. It’s time to start having conversations with your legislators.
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About Brian Almon
Brian Almon is the Editor of the Gem State Chronicle. He also serves as Chairman of the District 14 Republican Party and is a trustee of the Eagle Public Library Board. He lives with his wife and five children in Eagle.
