The following article was published in the Boise Weekly on January 30, 2025.
For my first “Boise Weekly Sound Off,” I want to tackle voucher schemes, a direct threat to Idaho’s future.
Republicans refer to vouchers as “school choice” or “refundable tax credits,” but those are just misleading rebrands. Vouchers, by any name, siphon your taxes from public schools, widen inequality, and fail the next generation of Idahoans.
“School choice” is a misnomer because Idaho leads the nation in choices parents have for sending their kids to school, including charter schools, open enrollment, online programs, magnet schools, homeschooling and more.
If vouchers are introduced, they won’t expand your choices—they’ll make you pay for someone else’s. Your tax dollars will fund private or religious schools with zero accountability, including some that espouse extremism. That’s a blank check straight out of the state budget.
Don’t buy the line that competition will improve public schools. Public education has long-proven to have positive spillover effects, teaching every child regardless of their family’s income or background. The more we weaken it, the more society as a whole pays the price.
Who Really Benefits?
Proponents argue that vouchers help low-income families access private schools, but in reality we know that a majority of students using vouchers – 80% in one study – were already attending these expensive schools, so it amounts to a government handout for wealthy families.
And “refundable tax credits” won’t cover the cost of private school tuition, which averages to $8,838 in Idaho, so low income families aren’t incentivized to enroll in private or religious schools. We’ve seen in other states that vouchers only widen the gap between low and high-income families.
Consider, too, that Idaho’s urban families can more readily take advantage of vouchers because that’s where most private schools are located.
Instead of leveling the playing field, vouchers widen socioeconomic gaps, giving wealthier families subsidies while public schools are drained of their resources for facilities, materials, and programs.
The $50 Million Mistake
Unfortunately, Governor Little has earmarked $50 million for voucher programs. On one hand, it’s disappointing, given his administration’s focus on education. On the other hand, it’s naive, because $50 million is merely the beginning of the drain on public schools and other vital services.
There’s not a voucher state that hasn’t met a budget shortfall. In Arizona, vouchers were expected to cost $65 million, but they exploded past $332 million. To rebalance, Arizona had to cut vital state programs and projects, road and water projects, and the $1.4 billion deficit (that’s with a “b” now, folks) is largely blamed on vouchers.
Opening Pandora’s Box
Regardless of intent, Vouchers unleash a cascade of consequences: blown budgets, increased inequality, and weakened educational outcomes. Like Pandora’s box, once open, the damage is irreversible.
Instead, Idaho should invest in proven solutions like early childhood education, technical training, and teacher support. Let’s reject vouchers and strengthen public education. That’s the Idaho way.