School overview
Island Park Charter School
How Island Park's tiny public charter school is funded, who runs it, and what is underway
_MET_186264.jpg){kind=link}
How is a 30-student charter school paid for?
Island Park Charter School is a free public school for kindergarten through 7th grade in Island Park, Fremont County. Fremont County Joint School District #215 approves its charter and could close it if students do not do well. The school gets almost all its money from the state through Idaho's formula, which pays per support unit based on attendance. It collects no local property tax. Because enrollment is about 30 students, small changes in attendance move its funding. For several years it has spent less than it took in, saving for land and a bigger building.
State formula money
The 2025-26 budget plans $394,569 in state money for the general fund, based on 2.42 support units. It plans no local tax and no federal money for the general fund.
Savings growing
Fund balances grew to $954,343 by June 30, 2026, up from $802,094 a year earlier, as the school took in $541,752 and spent $389,503.
Salaries rising
Budgeted general-fund salaries rose to $269,354 for 2025-26, up from $157,720 the year before, as the school added grades and split into two classes.
Enrollment slipping
Enrollment went from 31 in K-6 during the winter to 29 in K-7 in September 2026. Leaders say families are moving away from Island Park.
The audit gives clean opinions on the school's funds. Its one qualification is about how retiree benefits are reported (GASB 75), which is common for very small public employers. Large savings here are a deliberate building fund, not a sign of trouble.
Where the district stands
Bank balances of $950,273 minus $250,000 insured, both from the FY2026 audit.
Context: $332,202 general-fund spending in the FY2026 audit divided by about 31 students. Rounded.
Major projects
Search for land and a larger building
in_progressThe school has saved for several years to buy land and build a larger school. An Idaho Department of Lands option fell through. Now a committee is looking at state and federal (Forest Service) land, with help from Fremont County commissioners.
- Board agrees to form a property committee
- Department of Lands option reported dropped
- Met county commissioners; House Bill 583 safety concerns
- Lease-or-buy decision tabled until needed
Funding
School savings; no amount set aside formally
Moving savings into the state investment pool
in_progressBecause savings are well above the federal bank-insurance limit, the board voted to open a Local Government Investment Pool account and to write an investment policy.
- Chair begins looking at investment options
- Board votes to open LGIP account
Funding
Existing school savings
Rewriting the 2020 policy manual
in_progressAdministrators are rewriting the school's policy manual. It must add rules that new Idaho laws require, including a daily moment of silence, AI rules and cyberbullying rules.
- Administrator asked to review the manual
- Board review planned for September
- Board votes to follow all new state laws
Funding
Staff time; pay for extra hours not yet set
Recent news
View the news feed →Resources
Practical guides to school phone policies, district budgets, and administrator hiring.
Explore resources →Built from Island Park Charter School board agendas and minutes (October 2025 to October 2026), the 2025-26 budget, the audit for the year ended June 30, 2026, the board policy manual and the 2026-27 calendar. All of these are posted in public Google Drive folders linked from the school's website.
Get alerts for Island Park Charter School
We read every agenda, packet, recording, and set of minutes, and write up the decisions that affect families — each one linked to the document it came from.
Copy the RSS link into your feed reader to get new published alerts.