Idaho School Vouchers
Keep vouchers out of Idaho.
The Issue:
For decades, anti-public education forces have spent millions of out-of-state dollars promoting their favorite government entitlement: private school vouchers. And for decades, Idahoans have rejected these schemes in favor of common-sense fiscal responsibility and the public schools at the heart of their communities.
Idaho school vouchers are often proposed under seemingly benign labels like “scholarships,” “Idaho school choice,” “education savings accounts” and “tax credits.”
But make no mistake: any scheme that siphons tax dollars to private school tuition is a voucher.
Unless Idahoans make their voices heard, 2025 could be the year that out-of-state think tanks and other anti-public education advocates saddle the state with an Idaho school vouchers program that has been disastrous in other states. Here are just a few of the many reasons Idaho Education Association members oppose public money for private schools.
RURAL STUDENTS SUFFER
- Nearly 50% of Idaho counties lack private schools and 30% of private schools are one county — Ada.
- Idaho school vouchers favor urban, wealthier students and rural students lose out.
NO ACCOUNTABILITY
- Private schools are not held to the same accountability standards as public schools.
- A recent 2024 poll of Idaho voters showed that 88% support accountability for schools receiving taxpayer money.
EXPLODE DEFICITS
- Voucher schemes have failed in other states and led to huge deficits and cuts to critical services.
- In Arizona, vouchers were projected to cost $70M and ballooned to $708M after one year — contributing signficantly to their $1.4B budget deficit.
UNNECESSARY
- Studies show that vouchers are disproportionately used by welathy families that do not need financial help.
- In states with voucher programs, 65-90% of students who receive vouchers are not public school students and could already afford private school tuition.
Why We Care
What could your local school be with proper funding?
Idaho’s educators and schools move mountains to support students with the inadequate funding they receive from the state. But resourcefulness and responsibility can only do so much.
Instead of creating a separate system for the wealthy that siphons funds from public schools, we should demand our lawmakers invest in the system we have — a system that is open to every Idaho child, no exceptions.
We can do better, Idaho.
By the Numbers
71%
of 1300+ Idaho educators surveyed in November 2024 identified inadequate school funding as a very serious problem in their schools.
0
Zero improvement: Research has shown that vouchers do not improve student achievement. Recent studies in Louisiana, Indiana, and Ohio found that students using vouchers experienced worse academic outcomes than their public school peers.
88%
of Idaho voters polled in 2024 demand accountability for schools receiving taxpayer dollars. 94% support background checks for staff and 91% agree that schools must comply with anti-discrimination laws.
Take Action:
Tell your lawmaker to defeat Idaho school vouchers and fully fund our public schools instead.
School Voucher FAQs
What is wrong with parental or school choice?
Absolutely nothing, as long as taxpayer dollars are not used to create that choice outside of Idaho public schools. Did you know that Idaho public schools already offer a wide, varied menu of free public education choices for Idaho families? These options include:
- Online virtual charter schools
- In-person charter schools
- Gifted and talented education
- Special education
- Alternative education
- Career technical education
- Magnet schools
Reversing decades of chronic underfunding for Idaho’s public schools will undoubtedly spur even more innovation and choice in our school system.
How do vouchers create an unequal playing field for Idaho students?
Unlike public schools, private schools are allowed to limit enrollment. In many cases, private schools maintain exclusive admissions policies and charge tuition and fees far above the amount provided by taxpayer-funded vouchers. Private and religious schools can — and do — discriminate in admissions on the basis of gender, religion, sexual orientation, ability, behavioral history, prior academic achievement, standardized test scores, interviews with applicants and parents, and income.
Shouldn’t education tax dollars follow the child?
When a student leaves a public school, fixed costs such as teacher salaries, utilities, and transportation don’t decrease. Vouchers leave less funding for most students, which hurts all of our public schools. Despite additional funding provided in recent legislative sessions, Idaho still ranks near the bottom of all states in per-pupil funding.
Don’t vouchers give us more certainty about how our education dollars are spent?
No — the opposite is true. Private schools are not held accountable to taxpayers through elected office holders like school board members and state lawmakers. Transparency is a recognized problem with voucher school programs around the country and, as a result, taxpayer dollars are often misused.
Don’t vouchers benefit everyone?
No. Vouchers are often advertised by proponents as financial support intended for low-income families seeking higher-quality education options. Research on voucher programs across the nation tells a different story. Vouchers are often used by higher-income families to attend private schools — schools parents would have selected even without the availability of a voucher. Many private school tuitions are much higher than voucher amounts, making it hard for lower-income families to supplement the difference.
Stats and Facts About Public Dollars for Public Schools
- 62%: Of Idahoans say using tax dollars to pay for private school tuition is not important.
- Zero Improvement: Research has shown that vouchers do not improve student achievement. Recent studies in Louisiana, Indiana, and Ohio found that students using vouchers experienced worse academic outcomes than their public school peers.
- 51st: Idaho ranks at the very bottom of per-pupil public school funding.