A child only gets one chance to secure a good educational foundation. When a child enters kindergarten or the first grade, parents should expect the best educational options to fit their needs.
In the United States, this historically meant that more affluent families could decide whether to send their children to public schools or to private or parochial schools as an alternative. But many families simply can’t afford the option of a private school because it would mean paying for education twice. They support public schools through taxes and can’t afford to pay a second time for private school tuition.
School choice helps level the playing field. Whether through vouchers, education savings accounts, or refundable education tax credits, school choice allows the money to “follow the child” to the best education opportunities. The short-term effects are obvious. Parents disappointed by their public schools can opt for private or homeschool education and not have to pay extra. Students can get the best education, for no extra cost to the family.
The long-term effects are even better. Because the money follows the child, new and expanded private school opportunities will materialize, homeschool resources will improve, and the competition will incentivize public schools toward excellence and efficiency. Teachers will also see better opportunities and competitive pay for their good work.
As Idaho contemplates school choice in the 2025 legislative session, decision-makers should take care to make sure Idaho does it right. School choice is an important policy and it needs to be efficient and effective. Idaho deserves the best school choice, and the good news is that we can look to other states to see what works and what doesn’t.
A “Gold Standard,” for school choice should be:
It’s time for Idaho to step up and join the many states that offer generous and robust school choice options to students; the kids who represent Idaho’s future. 2025 is the year that Idaho can be the gold standard for school choice in America.
