The state of Idaho just won its case to keep its new school choice system, despite union pressure on behalf of failed public schools.
Idaho’s School Choice Tax Credit will move forward, and families who have applied will receive the tax credit, the state’s attorney general announced in a Feb. 5 press release. The program allots up to $5,000 per student or $7,500 for those with specific disabilities for refundable tax credits, which the students can use for tuition, tutoring, and other qualifying educational purposes, even for private and homeschool students. Because this empowers students who wish to seek educational alternatives, public school devotees loathe it.
Attorney General Raúl Labrador, however, celebrated the decision as a victory for students and parents within his state. No, children do not have to be trapped within the woke cesspool of public school education. “Today’s decision confirms that Idaho’s constitutional requirement to maintain a system of public schools does not prevent the Idaho Legislature from doing more to expand educational opportunities,” Labrador stated.
He added, “The Court rejected the Petitioner’s restrictive reading of the legislature’s power to legislate education matters. This ruling is a victory for Idaho families. It affirms their freedom to choose the educational path that best fits their children’s needs and futures.” The teachers’ unions never consult the good of children when it comes to their decision-making. They are only concerned with their own profit.
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Petitioners in the case that wanted to ax the program included the Idaho Education Association, the Latah County school district, and the Committee to Protect and Preserve the Idaho Constitution. They argued unsuccessfully that the state constitution prohibited taxpayer funds from going to any schools but public schools and that the tax credit does not serve the public interest.
The Idaho Supreme Court countered by stating that while the state constitution does provide for public schools, it does not prohibit the state government from assisting other educational initiatives. Furthermore, the court agreed that the tax credit, in promoting parental choice for education, does serve the public interest.
The Court’s decision was unanimous and included awarding attorney fees to the state, according to Labrador. Interestingly, his press release explained that the tax credit program does not reallocate money from public schools. Therefore, it is particularly ridiculous that petitioners should have argued against the program on behalf of public schools.
School choice programs have appeared in multiple states across the country within the last decade, as some states recognized that public schools are often substandard and woke but many students cannot afford any other education. As someone whose family used school choice credits in Arizona for homeschool, I can attest to the usefulness of the program. Why should taxpayers have to fund failed public education exclusively if they prefer to apply that money to giving kids a better option?
Editor's Note: President Trump is fighting to dismantle the Department of Education and ensure America's kids get the education they deserve.
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