Idaho school drill rule

What does the Idaho rule require?

Each school district and public charter school must have a district- or charter-wide policy and procedures covering a set list of safety topics. One of those topics is building safety, including evacuation drills; the rule states no drill frequency. The rule applies to school districts and charter schools, public school educators and public school students.

What does state law require of districts?

Idaho Code 33-512 places its listed duties on the board of trustees of each school district. Each school must have a board-approved emergency operations plan, developed with local school staff and local emergency response agencies and reviewed at least once a year. All district staff must receive initial and yearly emergency operations training on how to conduct exercises; this is staff training, not a student drill count. 2025 House Bill 224 was signed March 14, 2025 as Session Law Chapter 72, effective July 1, 2025.

What are the school bus drill rules?

State Board rules adopt by reference the Standards for Idaho School Buses and Operations, as approved August 24, 2022. The State Board posts that 2022 version. Under the 2022 standards, each district's or charter school's written transportation policies must make passenger safety instruction, including students taking part in practical emergency evacuation drills, part of the school curriculum. The standards recommend teaching every bus rider where the emergency exits are and how they work at least once each school semester. They also recommend supervised practical emergency exit drills for each student who rides a school bus or activity bus, with no separate count. Records of driver emergency evacuation drills must be kept for three years. The standards recommend that students with disabilities take part in required bus evacuation drills unless it would be a health risk, and that parents be told ahead of time about any barriers. This is a recommendation, not a requirement. A proposed rule posted in September 2026 (docket 08-0202-2602) leaves the bus standards adopted at the August 24, 2022 version.

What does state guidance recommend?

State school safety guidance recommends lockdown and hall-check drills two times each school year. The same guidance says these drills are not required by law, but strongly recommended. It recommends notifying staff and parents in advance of each month's scheduled drill. This is a recommendation, not a requirement.

What does the fire code say?

Idaho law adopts the International Fire Code, 2000 edition, and later editions the state fire marshal adopts, as the state's minimum fire standard. The State Fire Marshal's rule adopts the International Fire Code as Idaho's minimum standard for protection from fire. The State Fire Marshal's codes page lists the 2018 International Fire Code (IFC) as the fire code in use. Under the 2018 IFC, every school (Group E) building must have an approved fire safety and evacuation plan. Where that plan is required, as it is for schools, evacuation drills must be held and designed in cooperation with local authorities. The code sets school fire and evacuation drills at monthly, with all students and staff in the building taking part. In severe climates, the local fire code official may change the drill frequency. A school's first evacuation drill of each school year must be held within 10 days of the start of classes. Evacuation drills must be held at different times of day, including class changes, assemblies and recess, so drills can't be told apart from real fires. If the fire code official requires it, advance notice of an evacuation drill must be given to that official.

Who is covered?

The evacuation drill policy rule covers each school district and public charter school. The emergency operations plan and staff training duties fall on each school district's board of trustees.