Idaho should continue its current system of sending money out to school districts to contract for their own broadband service for another school year, the Legislature’s Broadband Access Study Committee declared today, while longer-term proposals are enacted and implemented. The lawmakers voted unanimously in favor of a motion from Sen. Shawn Keough, R-Sandpoint to extend that for the 2016-17 school year; she added to her motion a suggestion from Will Goodman of the Idaho Education Technology Association relaxing a string in the current program that bans spending the money on anything other than grades 9-12.

Goodman said that’s requiring districts to “segment traffic between their high schools and their other schools,” to make sure they don’t use internet service they’re already purchasing to share with their schools serving grades K-8 students. The change wouldn’t bring any change in funding; it just would free schools of that segmenting requirement.

Separately, lawmakers next year will consider a budget proposal to expand broadband services to grades K-12. State Superintendent of Schools Sherri Ybarra included a $3.4 million request in her proposed budget for the state Department of Education to continue the local contracting program another year plus expand it to grades K-12; lawmakers originally budgeted $7 million for the program this year, but found that it cost far less.

The panel, wrapping up a long day of discussions, also voted unanimously to recommend repealing existing laws about the Idaho Education Network, now that it’s defunct.