The Blog at MSPC

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.

As Idaho’s application window for the Parental Choice Tax Credit has come to a close, the final numbers tell a powerful story. We now know the final numbers submitted to the state tax commission by the the March 15 deadline: 6,069 families applied, covering 13,568 students across the state.

By working together, educators and industry leaders can ensure that students gain the knowledge and skills necessary to participate in the future AI economy. Through thoughtful collaboration and forward-thinking policies, Idaho is working to prepare students not only to navigate the AI age but to lead it.

The people of Washington must now consider a question once familiar to Americans: what recourse remains when government refuses to listen?

Policymakers must now decide whether the overwhelming demand is worth additional investment. No bills this session have offered to expand the program, but there have been plenty of pieces of legislation by opponents wishing to cut it.

The agency has cost taxpayers more than $2.3 trillion. Yet despite this enormous investment, student performance has shown little meaningful improvement.

If Idaho had the same population as Texas, the current participation rate would translate to roughly 184,000 students.

Parents in Idaho and Montana are among the most satisfied in the country with their children’s schools. In Montana, 51% of parents say they are very satisfied with their child’s school, well above the national average of 47%. Idaho parents report similar confidence, with 48% saying they are very satisfied.

Growing up in the era of pagers and pay phones, I survived cell phone-free until college. As a mom to a teenage boy, I tried to stave off phone use as long as possible. Debates on appropriate screen time, talks about cyberbullying, and warnings about predators have become the norm. For most students, cell phones are an integral part of everyday life, and thus, their use in school has become a contentious issue. Washington, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming are each addressing cell

The proposal would raise Idaho’s income tax rate from 5.3% to 5.325% and repeal the Parental Choice Tax Credit — just months after families began applying for it.