Idaho school bonds are facing a tough time, with none passing since May 2024, according to an Idaho EdNews analysis of 10 years of election data. State Superintendent Debbie Critchfield notes that it has become rare for school bonds to pass, with the last successful bond being in May 2024.
Challenges in Passing School Bonds
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to districts being cautious about attempting to pass bonds. In 2019, there were 20 bonds on the ballot, while in 2025, there were only six. The Legislature’s reduction of school election dates from four to two and the provision of $1 billion in facilities funds have also impacted bond passage.
However, the $1 billion figure has not been enough to build new schools or overhaul existing buildings in many small and mid-sized districts. The new funds came with cuts to lottery funds traditionally used for routine maintenance costs. Critchfield attributes the difficulty in passing bonds to overall voter fatigue, a bad economy, and tight budgets.
Voters often do not understand that the state sends very little money for building upkeep and almost none for building new schools. The complex funding formula does not fund building, construction, or repairs, making it challenging for districts to explain the need for bonds.
Alternatives to Bonds
With bonds not passing, districts are turning to plant-facility levies for building updates, which require a 55% majority to pass. However, even these measures are facing difficulties, with 80% of plant-facility levies failing in the spring.
The cost of building a school has grown exponentially, with a new high school costing around $100 million. The number of bonds on the ballot has decreased, with an average of nearly 16 bonds per year from 2015-2019, compared to an average of seven from 2021-2025.
Critchfield notes that people are not comfortable with the idea of taxing themselves more, and the lack of understanding about the state’s funding formula contributes to the difficulty in passing bonds. The Legislature’s changes to ballot language rules have also made it harder for districts to explain the costs and benefits of bonds.
Original reporting: Idaho Education News — read the source article.
