KEEP PUBLIC DOLLARS IN PUBLIC SCHOOL CLASSROOMS

Vouchers are taxpayer-funded government subsidies for private schools and vendors that syphon scarce and desperately needed tax dollars away from public school classrooms.

Join with the Idaho Education Association and fellow organizations that oppose private school vouchers…

Idaho School Board Association

Idaho Association of School Administrators

Idaho Business for Education

Idaho State Department of Education

Southern Idaho Conference (SIC) Superintendent

American Association of University Women-Idaho

Idaho PTA

ACLU Idaho

Idaho State Board of Education

Vouchers reduce fair access to education, provide no educational benefit to students and offer no accountability to taxpayers.

Often proposed under seemingly benign labels like “scholarships,” “school choice” or “parental choice,” vouchers are particularly troublesome for rural schools and less affluent areas, where school resources are scarce and students and families have fewer, if any, non-public school education choices than more affluent urban areas. Taking tax dollars from rural public schools to help a select few pay private school tuition in urban areas is unfair and leaves too many hard-working Idaho families vulnerable.

IEA members support quality school choice and innovative programs within Idaho's constitutionally protected public school system.

Watch this video to learn how the growing trend of sending public money to private schools through vouchers and tax credit scholarships threatens public education.

What do our best public schools look like?

Qualified Experts

They have certified teachers, caring and supportive staff who create a welcoming environment for students and families

Counselors

They have qualified counselors who help students flourish.

A Well-Rounded Education

Classes that offer college credit, band, theater, athletics, science labs, foreign languages, robotics and much more.

Let’s invest in making all of our public schools look like this rather than private school vouchers that only help a select few. Good public schools can unlock students potential and prepare them for lifelong success.

Private School Vouchers Siphon Resources Away from Public Schools

Public tax dollars should not be used to pay for a select few to attend private schools.

Rural Schools Would be Particularly

Hard Hit

Rural Schools would be decimated by reductions to Idaho’s general fund, which is the primary source of public school funding.

Idaho is already 49th of 50 states in per-pupil funding

We should focus on investing in public schools, where 97% of Idaho children go, not on diverting money to 3% who attend private schools

Idaho can't afford to support two education systems - one public and one private

Higher Taxes? Or Less Money for Public Schools?

There are only two options if money is diverted from Idaho’s general fund—raise taxes to bridge the gap, or reduce resources for public schools, students, and teachers

Voucher schemes are a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Whether they are called education savings accounts (ESAs), tuition tax credits, or any other innocuous name, the bottom line is the same—they take taxpayer money from public schools to use in private and parochial school

Private Schools Lack Accountability, Access, and Opportunity.
Private schools are not accountable to taxpayers.
Private schools are not required to provide services like meals, transportation, and special education services, so most do not.

Voucher Case Studies

On negative effects of vouchers

Participation in a voucher program does not improve student achievement, and may indeed impair academic performance. In Indiana and Louisiana, students who received vouchers had lower test scores than their peers who stayed in public school.

A Case Study for Betsy DeVos's Educational Utopia

After a voucher program was enacted in Nevada, research showed that the majority of applicants to the program were student from wealthy ZIP codes who already had access to top-performing public schools. Read Story.

Vouchers and Public School Performance

In instances where programs have seemed successful on the surface, digging deeper shows that improved student performance is sporadic, at best, with research pointing toward the need for more concrete evidence. Read Story.

The Promise and Peril of School Vouchers

The reality is vouchers won’t go to the children that need the most help anyway. Places that are experimenting with vouchers revealed many students who receive them are already attending private schools. Read Story.

Public schools welcome all students and strive to serve and educate each child.

Private schools can reject students based on economic status, academic achievement, disabilities, English proficiency, immigration status, sexual orientation, or gender. Join our list and stay informed on vouchers. Thanks for supporting Idaho public schools!