More gains for school choice across the country
Caroline MolloyIdaho has enacted a school choice bill that would allow parents to use public funds to send their kids to private schools, and two other Republican-controlled states are moving closer to approving similar legislation.
The Idaho measure provides up to $5,000 per student per year for private school or for home schooling and $7,500 per year for students with disabilities.
Idaho Gov. Brad Little, a Republican, signed the bill into law on Feb. 27.
Supporters of school choice say it expands the options of poor families who can’t afford private schools.
“Idaho has become the first state to offer education freedom from kindergarten through career,” Little said in a statement.
“Idaho can have it all — strong public schools AND education freedom,” he said. “Providing high-quality education for Idaho students will always be our top priority,”
Opponents of school choice contend that it undermines the public schools by diverting public funds they need.
Layne McInelly, president of the Idaho Education Association, a statewide teachers union, called school choice vouchers “a huge mistake” and said the recently enacted law “is just the beginning.”
“Voucher proponents — eager to help out-of-state billionaires plunder Idaho’s public school budget — are already planning how to exploit and expand this program during 2026’s legislative session,” McInelly said.
President Donald Trump endorsed the Idaho bill on social media on Feb. 16, saying it would “empower parents to provide the very best education for their child.”
Meanwhile, Texas and Wyoming are close to enacting their own versions of school choice.
