The Idaho Public Charter School Commission was founded in 2004 during an overhaul of the state’s laws surrounding charter schools. As of August 2026, the commission authorized 67 schools, including four that have yet to open. Seven were virtual.
Authorization Process
The commission authorizes and oversees most charter schools in the state. This includes authorizing schools to open and monitoring their financial, operational, and academic success. The authorization process starts when a group hoping to found a new school contacts charter commission staff.
The founding group works with commission staff to submit an application packet that includes financial planning, school model information, and evidence of student demand. The group then presents to the full commission, which can vote to authorize or deny the application.
Commission Oversight
Schools are initially authorized for six years under a traditional charter. Schools authorized under the 2024 innovative charter law are authorized for three years. The commission meets every other month, typically in Boise.
The commission has standards that schools must meet related to finances, test scores, and graduation rates, among other things. If a school meets those requirements, they continue operating with little commission interaction for their term.
Schools that fail to meet a condition typically have a year to meet the metric. If they don’t, the commission can start proceedings to revoke the school’s charter. However, a revocation has happened twice.
Original reporting: Idaho Education News — read the source article.
