About the Laws

Students Come First is a comprehensive reform package that passed the Idaho Legislature in 2011. Students Come First will educate more students at a higher level with limited resources by reforming Idaho’s public education system. Through these laws, the state and local school districts will make every classroom a 21st Century Classroom, ensure every student has access to a highly effective teacher every year in school, and give parents immediate access to understandable information about their child’s school and district.

Students Come First is the new normal in education. Over the last two years, the state has drained $200 million from education reserves, taken one-time federal money, and cut crucial children’s programs in an effort to prop up the current education system. It would be irresponsible to cut the current system more. Students Come First changes the current system to spend what the state currently has differently and prepare more students for the 21st Century world that awaits them.

What will education in the future look like with Students Come First? No matter where a child lives in Idaho, they will have access to the best educational opportunities, including the highest quality instruction and highly effective teachers. Every student will learn in a 21st Century Classroom, a classroom that is not limited by walls, bell schedules, school calendars, or geography. When they graduate from high school, they will be prepared to go on to postsecondary education or the workforce without the need for remediation.