In late February, Governor Brad Little signed a parental choice tax credit bill into law, making Idaho the 14th state in the nation to pass a universal school choice program. The new program establishes a refundable education tax credit worth up to $5,000 for parents and legal guardians whose children are not enrolled in a public school and up to $7,500 for special needs students.
This victory for students in the Gem State took several years to make its way across the finish line. For years, the Idaho Freedom Foundation hasdispelled myths about school choice and educated parents and taxpayers with the truth: many other states have enacted school choice programs that allow private schools and homeschoolers to continue operating without government interference.
The Mountain States Policy Center has also been advocating for education choice since its founding in 2022. Early this year, they hosted an education choice policy forum for over 160 legislators and other stakeholders.
In the last five years, many parents have become acutely aware of what was, or wasn’t, being taught in their children’s school. This has led to an influx of parents seeking to remove their students from the public school system and find a solution that’s more tailored to their specific needs or values.
While some public schools succeed in preparing students for college and life after—many are failing. In fact in January the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) released the Nation’s Report Card, revealing that millions of America’s fourth and eighth graders can’t read or write at a basic level.
Option-enabling programs like ESAs or refundable education tax credits give parents ultimate flexibility in education, regardless of their income level or ZIP code. By providing funds to cover education costs, including tuition, parents can assume greater responsibility for how and where and what their children are learning.
Idaho’s school choice program is universal, meaning that all K-12 students in the state are eligible to qualify for funding to access an alternative learning environment. That said, as is the case with most state’s programs, Idaho’s program is only funded at $50 million in its first year, so not all families who are eligible will actually qualify until or unless lawmakers increase funding.
Other states with universal education choice programs include Alabama, Arizona, West Virginia, Arkansas, Iowa, Florida, Louisiana, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Utah. 98% of students presently qualify for Indiana’s program, and lawmakers are considering expanding eligibility to fully universal this legislative session. Wyoming also recently passed a universal ESA program, making it the 15th state in the nation to empower parents since 2020.
Several more states are considering enacting new or expanding existing private school choice programs this legislative session, including: Texas, South Carolina, North Dakota, South Dakota and New Hampshire.
