The Blog at MSPC

Idaho should absolutely provide the resources necessary to give every public school student a quality education. And policymakers should design a funding system that recognizes legitimate attendance fluctuations and gives districts reasonable predictability from year to year. But predictability cannot become an excuse to disconnect funding from reality.

Idaho students aren't just competing with students in neighboring states for future careers. They are competing with the future innovators and leaders of the world.

So many families applied that the program hit its nearly $50 million statutory cap Friday, forcing the Idaho State Tax Commission to close the application window about a month before the law's outside deadline of August 15.

Wyoming families and students have a huge reason to celebrate. As of July 6, they can apply for up to $7,000 for costs related to private or homeschooling for K-12 students for the 2026/2027 school year.

Education debates almost always begin with the premise that schools need more funding. Rarely do we hear a definition of success. Is it another $100 million? Another $500 million? A billion? At what point would education leaders say, "Yes, this is sufficient"?

Before there could be a declaration, there had to be a decision. That decision came on July 2, 1776.

Good news for Idaho families! The Idaho Tax Commission has announced it will reopen the application window for the Idaho Parental Choice Tax Credit Program tomorrow, May 21, at 8 a.m. (MDT).

Despite lawsuits, repeal efforts, and relentless political attacks, thousands of Idaho families still chose educational opportunity for their children.

Education choice in Wyoming and throughout the United States has the potential to usher in an era of learning focused on student success, tailored to their individual needs. This decision is a great start towards that goal.

Idaho took a significant step this year toward strengthening civics education and preparing the next generation for informed citizenship.

We currently know that roughly half of participating families fall below the program’s priority threshold of 300% of the federal poverty level. What we do not know is the median income of all participating families. But critics routinely leap from “we don’t yet know” to “wealthy families are exploiting the system.”

It is Gov. Ferguson’s decision whether Washington families will benefit, or if the money will instead flow to students in participating states.

Early data obtained by MSPC shows that nearly half of participating families are lower-income or working class. That matters. And it tells u

In states where every dollar and opportunity matters, such as Wyoming and Montana, improving transparency could be just as important as expanding access, ensuring that students who attend college truly benefit from it.

Over the course of six rounds and more than 150 questions, students competed on topics ranging from the Constitution and the structure of government to key moments in American history.

The real issue isn’t that Idaho spends too little—it’s whether we’re getting results for what we spend. And right now, the data suggests something important: We can do better without simply spending more.

Idaho’s Parental Choice Tax Credit launched with strong momentum, supported by careful and deliberate planning by the legislature. From the outset, policymakers were intentional about designing a program that would be both accessible to families and administratively workable.

This week brought welcome news for many Idaho parents who applied for the inaugural Parental Choice Tax Credit program, which began accepting applications on January 15. The Tax Commission has started notifying applicants by email and Taxpayer Access Point (TAP) portal messaging regarding credit awards.

Let’s start with the basic reality: Idaho is increasing public education spending even as student enrollment levels off or declines.

Let’s avoid the awkward situation of explaining to Idaho families why a program designed to help them ended up putting them on hold.