State superintendent Sherri Ybarra’s rural education proposal cleared its first big political hurdle this morning, with the House Education Committee’s unanimous support, Idaho EdNews reports. The committee sent House Bill 223 to the House floor, where a vote could occur early next week.

The measure would create a pilot Rural Education Support Network, designed to help small districts collaborate, pool resources and acquire the services they need. Ybarra wants to put $300,000 a year into the three-year pilot program, writes Kevin Richert of Idaho EdNews.

Beyond that, it would be up to local school officials to figure out how to put together the pilot. And that’s by design, according to Ybarra and her chief policy adviser, Duncan Robb. They said their goal is to create a framework, since overtaxed rural administrators have too little time to explore and create partnerships. You can read Richert’s full report here.