How Idaho Schools Pay for an Assembly Speaker

Title IV-A in Idaho

Speaker fitPossible. Ask your federal programs director.

The Idaho Department of Education runs Title IV-A, the Student Support and Academic Enrichment grant. Districts apply for it each year through the Consolidated Federal and State Grant Application, the CFSGA (Idaho Department of Education). The state lists its three priorities as a well-rounded education, better school conditions for learning, and better use of technology.

Amount: each district’s share follows its Title I share from the year before. Federal law sets a floor of $10,000 per district, which a state can lower when money runs short, and a lot of small districts land near it. Big districts get far more. Ask your federal programs director for your number.

What changed in 2026: in June, the U.S. Department of Education approved Idaho’s request for Ed-Flex authority (Idaho Education News). Under it, the Idaho Department of Education can waive two Title IV-A spending rules for a district or charter that asks: the 20 percent minimums for well-rounded education and safe and healthy students, and the 15 percent cap on technology infrastructure. The waivers aren’t automatic. A district applies to the state, and the state’s authority can run up to five years (Idaho Department of Education Ed-Flex FAQ). The department lists it as the Title IV-A Spending Waiver (Idaho Department of Education).

What that means for you: a district with the waiver has more room to put Title IV-A where it thinks it does the most good. It also means nothing requires it to spend any of it on school climate. If you want some of it for an assembly, make the case to your district.

The rest of the rules, including the two that trip people up, are on the Title IV-A page.

Idaho Safe and Drug Free Schools

Speaker fitAsk first. The money is tied to safety and substance-abuse prevention.

The Idaho Legislature funds Safe and Drug Free Schools (SDFS) for every district and charter school. The money comes from taxes on tobacco products and lottery winnings, so the total moves from year to year (Idaho Department of Education).

Amount: a base of $2,000 for every district and charter, plus about $12 per student based on the prior year’s average daily attendance. At that rate, a district of 200 students gets roughly $4,400, and a district of 500 gets roughly $8,000. The exact figure is at the bottom of your district’s SDFS application.

Timing: paid to the district twice a year, usually in January and May.

What it can pay for: the Idaho Department of Education points to the rule in House Bill 629 (2020): “Such funds shall be used to develop and implement school safety improvements and/or to facilitate and provide substance abuse prevention programs in the public-school system.” It also says that if you’re unsure whether something is allowed, confirm with them.

I won’t tell you this money covers my talks. They’re about stress, belonging, loss and setting goals, and they aren’t a substance-abuse prevention program. If your district wants to use SDFS money, check with the Department of Education first, the way they ask.

Health foundations

The Blue Cross of Idaho Foundation for Health gives to Idaho schools mostly through programs it runs itself: a walking challenge for legislators that sends money to schools the legislators pick (KOZE), and a partnership that has helped schools bring behavioral health providers onto campus (Mountain Home News). I haven’t found a program there that a school applies to for an assembly. If your school already works with the foundation, ask them directly.

Local sources

The building budget, the PTO or PTA, student council, booster clubs, and local Rotary, Lions and Kiwanis clubs. The main funding page covers how to ask each one.

What does it cost?

The 2026–27 Idaho rate is on the Idaho youth speaker page. The principal approval packet has a paragraph you can paste straight into your request to the district.

Last checked November 5, 2026. This page isn’t legal or financial advice. Grant rules change every year, so confirm with whoever manages your district’s money before you spend it.