H921 appropriates an additional $517,800 for the state Department of Education for fiscal year 2027. Most of the new funding comes from federal funds, and supports programs such as school-bus equipment, the Farm-to-School Grant Program, and the Child Nutrition Program.
The Idaho State House of Representatives passed H921 on March 19, 2026 by a vote of 48 to 21. We have assigned pluses to the nays because this bill expands government funding and control over education—an area that properly belongs to parents and families, not the state. By allocating additional taxpayer dollars to a government-run education system, the Legislature reinforces a monopoly that crowds out private schools and homeschooling. True educational freedom cannot be achieved through compulsory, state-funded schooling, but only when parents are free to direct their children's education without state interference or coerced public financing. Additionally, accepting unconstitutional federal funds not authorized by Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution always comes with strings attached and erodes state sovereignty.
