Rules For ‘Dual Enrollment’ To Be Discussed By Board

The state Board of Education will take its first steps next week toward adopting rules allowing non-public school students to take part in sports and other extracurricular activities in public schools.

The last Legislature passed a “dual enrollment” law opening sports and other activities to home schoolers or others who do not attend public schools.

The board is scheduled to formally start rulemaking to carry out the change, along with eliminating the requirement of passing the National Teachers Exam for first-time teachers in Idaho.

Most of the two-day board meeting, opening Wednesday in Boise, will be devoted to planning, and preliminary work on the search for a successor to University of Idaho President Elisabeth Zinser. She’s leaving in July after six years at Moscow to become chancellor at the University of Kentucky.

Gov. Phil Batt is scheduled to meet with the board on Thursday to share ideas on the direction that education should take through the end of the century. The board will take its first look at a multi-year strategic plan.

Among higher education issues up for review are the board’s student fee policy, the roles and missions of Idaho, Boise State, Idaho State and Lewis-Clark State College and faculty salaries.