Idaho School Boards Association
| Idaho School Boards Association | |
 | |
| Basic facts | |
| Location: | Boise, Idaho |
| Type: | 501(c)(6) |
| Affiliation: | Nonpartisan |
| Top official: | Misty Swanson, executive director |
| Founder(s): | Roger Baldwin, Crystal Eastman and Albert DeSilver |
| Year founded: | 1942 |
| Employees: | 10 |
| Website: | Official website |
The Idaho School Boards Association (ISBA) is an organization of school boards in Idaho. As of November 2025, the association's website says it "empowers and champions school boards to foster student success."[1] The ISBA's services included holding events and providing resources for members, including legal services, model policies, and assistance with superintendent searches and labor relations.[2] The association's work also included advocacy for local control of school districts at the Idaho State Legislature.
On February 21, 2022, the ISBA passed a motion to terminate its membership in the National School Boards Association.[3] The ISBA became a founding member of the Consortium of State School Boards Associations (COSSBA).
Background
The ISBA was founded in 1942 as the Idaho State Trustees Association.[4] The association held its first meeting in 1943.[4] In 1970, the Idaho State Trustees Association changed its name to the ISBA.[4] In 2014, the ISBA voted to allow charter school boards to become full voting members.[4] According to the ISBA, this was the first time in the country charter trustees were allowed to join a state school boards association. In 2015, a charter school board member was elected president of the ISBA.[5]
As of November 2025, the ISBA stated that its vision is for every school board to be "inspired and equipped to govern effectively. We are the trusted and reliable voice in education advocacy. Each student in Idaho can thrive."[6]
Leadership
As of November 2025, the following individuals held leadership positions at ISBA:[7]
- Misty Swanson, executive director
- Quinn Perry, deputy director & government affairs
- Dr. Phil Gore, chief learning officer
- Jason Sevy, president
- Eric Smallwood, president-elect
- Brett Plummer, vice president
Work and activities
Legislative and policy work
As of November 2025, the ISBA's website stated it "works with legislators, State Board of Education, State Department of Education, and the Governor’s office, as well as other education stakeholders in developing education legislation as directed by the membership, and opposing bills that restrict local control of schools."[6] As of November 2025, ISBA members vote annually on resolutions spelling out the association's legislative priorities.[8]
In 2024, ISBA members voted 7,281-674 to oppose the use of government funds for private schools.[9] The ISBA adopted a similar resolution in 2025 that called for repealing HB 93, a bill enacted that year creating a $50 million universal refundable tax credit program for eligible families to use on private school tuition, tutoring, or homeschooling expenses.[10][11] The ISBA resolution stated: "The current tax credit, and potential voucher and scholarship programs, will irreparably harm our existing system of public school districts and charters, especially in rural Idaho, and would likely harm overall student achievement."[10]
In 2024, the ISBA also advocated for making updates to the state's high school graduation requirements and school funding formula, modifying open enrollment laws to protect special education and the Gifted and Talented programs, and amending state statute to provide districts with more flexibility around bond and levy communications.[8][12]
Finances
The following is a breakdown of ISBA's revenues and expenses from 2015 to 2024. The information comes from ProPublica:
| Year | Revenue | Expenses |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $1.9 million | $1.8 million |
| 2023 | $2.1 million | $2 million |
| 2022 | $2.6 million | $2.5 million |
| 2021 | $2.1 million | $1.8 million |
| 2020 | $2 million | $2 million |
| 2019 | $2 million | $1.8 million |
| 2018 | $1.5 million | $1.7 million |
| 2017 | $1.6 million | $1.5 million |
| 2016 | $1.5 million | $1.5 million |
| 2015 | $1.2 million | $1.1 million |
See also
- What is an influencer?
- Public education in Idaho
- List of school districts in Idaho
- Consortium of State School Boards Associations
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Idaho School Boards Association, "Homepage," accessed November 30, 2025
- ↑ Idaho School Boards Association, "Superintendent Searches," accessed November 30, 2025
- ↑ KMVT, "Idaho School Boards Association to terminate National School Board membership," February 21, 2022
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Idaho School Boards Association, "80th Anniversary Timeline," accessed November 30, 2025
- ↑ Idaho Education News, "Charter trustee elected ISBA president," November 13, 2015
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Idaho School Boards Association, "Homepage," accessed November 30, 2025
- ↑ Idaho School Boards Association, "ISBA Staff," accessed November 30, 2025
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Idaho School Boards Association, "Policy Brief," accessed November 30, 2025
- ↑ Idaho Ed News, "Analysis: Idaho’s fight over private school choice is far from finished," July 17, 2025
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Idaho Ed News, "Boise trustees: Private school choice will ‘irreparably harm’ public schools," July 17, 2025
- ↑ Idaho Capital Sun, "Idaho Gov. Brad Little signs law that directs state funds to private school tuition," February 27, 2025
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
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