The vast majority of Idaho voters approve of the state’s public school educators and only a tiny fraction think publicly-funded private school vouchers should be a priority for the Idaho Legislature, according to a recent poll commissioned by Idaho Education Association members.
An independent polling firm conducted the statewide survey of 500 voters from Sept. 24-29.
According to the poll, most Idahoans — 72 percent — approve of the job Idaho’s public-school teachers are doing in classrooms throughout the state every day. This favorability transcends political party lines, with 70 percent of Republicans, 70 percent of Independents and 89 percent of Democrats approving of Idaho’s public-school educators.
Only four percent of those polled think vouchers should be a legislative priority in 2025. And if a voucher program is introduced in Idaho schools, nearly nine of 10 respondents said private and religious schools that receive vouchers must meet similar accountability criteria as public schools. Sixty-six percent, including 83 percent of GOP voters, would demand extensive accountability for any voucher scheme enacted in the state.
“This poll shows, yet again, that most Idahoans are not asking for private school vouchers,” said IEA President Layne McInelly. “This is an issue forced upon Idahoans by anti-public school lawmakers who are more than willing to comply with the demands of out-of-state think tanks. Against all odds, Idaho educators continue to deliver the best education possible to their students despite the chronic underfunding of public schools in the State of Idaho. This poll confirms that.”
IEA members have long opposed vouchers (often called education savings accounts, tuition tax credits or tuition grants by proponents), which deliver taxpayer money to parents or guardians pay for private or religious education. Idaho ranks near the bottom nationwide in funding for public schools thanks to the Idaho Legislature’s chronic underfunding of public education.
LEARN MORE ABOUT IEA MEMBERS’ OPPOSITION TO VOUCHERS
Vouchers divert money from already cash-strapped public schools and give it to families that are often already capable of paying private-school tuition. In addition, most of Idaho’s private schools are located in its urban centers, further contributing to the already deep rural-city divide in school funding and accessibility.
“Idahoans have long valued fiscal responsibility,” said Chris Parri, IEA’s political director. “This survey shows there is no political will for legislation with dismal accountability such as we’ve seen in places like Arizona, which has become a darling of anti-public education forces.”
Arizona’s private school voucher program was the largest contributor to its recent $1.4 billion budget shortfall. Initial taxpayer costs were estimated at $65 million but quickly skyrocketed to $332 million, with another $429 million expected this year, according to ProPublica.
The polling was conducted by GS Strategy Group and included 500 voters from around the state. Fifty-nine percent of those polled self-identify as Republicans. The poll’s margin of error is 4.9 percent.
An astounding 88 percent of respondents think that any taxpayer funds to parents for private or religious school tuition should be subject to stringent accountability measures, such as those traditional public schools adhere to. Respondents made their preferences clear. If private and religious schools receive taxpayer funding, they should:
• Perform background checks for teachers, administrators and other school staff with access to children (93.7% support)
• Comply with state and federal laws that provide protections to students with disabilities (91.2% support)
• Comply with state laws that protect parental rights in education (85.3% support)
• Disclose operating budgets to taxpayers as a form of transparency similar to public schools (85% support)
• Comply with state and federal laws that protect students from discrimination based on sex, race and religion (84.5% support)
• Comply with state laws that prohibit indoctrination and grooming (76.8% support)
• Test students to determine taxpayer’s return on investment (69.3% support)
• Ensure the funding only goes to low-income families who could not otherwise afford tuition (59.7% support)
