This bill allows for payments to parents of $5000 per child, with a maximum per family of $15,000 per family for students in PreK to high school.
A high quality, robust public education system that ensures all Idaho children have the opportunity to thrive requires robust state investment. It is well established that Idaho’s schools are underfunded (51 st ranking). Decreasing the amount available in the general fund for schools is detrimental to all children.
It is estimated that 22,000 students (6%) attend non-public schools. Approximately 310,000 students (94%) attend public schools (see attached). Taking funding away from already underfunded public schools to subsidize private school students harms the 310,000 public school students. Rural communities especially will have to increase property taxes and run bonds to make up for the lack of funding.
Lower income families cannot afford private school tuition with the $5000 grant (in urban areas tuition can range from $10 - $20K per student annually). Higher income families who already send their children to private schools and who can afford the tuition will be the ones that will benefit from this grant.
A study of 7 states from 2008 – 2019 found that each state dramatically increased its spending on voucher programs and reduced funding for public schools with little to no increase in student performance for those using vouchers. (See ICFP White Paper attached). Once a voucher/tax credit/ESA program is adopted, it will increase over the years, at the expense of funding for public schools.
This bill is not fiscally conservative. Other states’ budgets have been blown up with this kind of program. There is no accountability to the taxpayer, i.e. no testing, or oversight of curriculum or teacher qualifications.
Idaho already has many choices for parents within the public school system. We have traditional schools, charter schools, magnet schools, GATE programs, CTE, on-line schools, and virtual schools. Public schools have resources for special needs, whereas private schools rarely accommodate learners outside the traditional model.
If public schools do not meet a student’s needs, it would be a better option to determine what is required to meet that need and send funds to that school (from the $50M), where accountability, transparency, and fiscal responsibility can be achieved. This approach is making the public school system better and more responsive while maintaining accountability to the taxpayers.