House Bill 58, which does nothing to provide more services or resources to students, including at the early age where intervention would actually be helpful, is expected to cost a minimum of $11 million just in daily payments to the school districts for the approximately 2,000 youth who would be affected, at the same time that schools are being forced to cut $62 million due to the economic situation. It also does not expand the truancy court system that would actually enforce the bill.
The bill also limits parental choice by not allowing parents to give their youth permission to drop out at 16, and in fact could result in them being fined $1000 and thrown in jail for six months if their teenagers are declared "habitually truant."
Moreover, there is no indication that it will actually be successful in its goal to gain more high-school graduates. Of the 12 states with better high-school graduation rates than Idaho, 7 of them allow students to drop out at 16, and of all the states Jarvis cites as having a dropout age of 18, only one, Utah, has a better graduation rate than Idaho. Last year, the Minnesota legislature defeated a similar bill when even its supporters admitted that simply raising the graduation age wouldn't solve the dropout problem.
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I was there and testified against. Most who spoke were FOR HB58. However, Rep Nielsen moved to "Hold in Committee". There was a debate and a second motion to "Send to Floor with a DO Pass" which failed vote in a tie broken by Committee Chair Rep Nonini. The original motion to "Hold in Committee" Passed. Many questions!
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