As the 2021 legislative session gets underway amid a global pandemic, education and budget committees are gearing up for the return of a topic that proved contentious in House Education chambers last year: addressing the social and emotional health of Idaho’s students.

The topic is among State Superintendent Sherri Ybarra’s  priorities for the new year and was the highlight of Monday’s ninth annual Idaho Business for Education legislative academy, where retired four-star general Craig McKinley discussed the importance of developing students’ social and emotional skills in the classroom environment.