Nearly 11,000 Idaho students are now signed up for state's parental choice tax credit

Thirty-four days after Idaho opened applications for the parental choice tax credit, the picture is coming into focus — and it’s a big one.

As of today, 6,274 Idaho families have applied for the credit, covering 10,674 students. If those students were enrolled in a single school district, it would already be the 6th largest district in the state.

And there are still 26 days left before the March 15 deadline.

This isn’t a one-day rush or a novelty bump. Over more than a month, applications have continued to arrive at a steady pace from families across Idaho.

More than 10,000 students are already represented — a reminder that when families are given new options, many are willing to act.

If applications continue at roughly the same pace seen over the first 34 days, total participation by the deadline would reach approximately:

• 12,100 families

• 20,900 students

That would put the program’s reach well beyond “pilot” territory and firmly into the scale of Idaho’s largest education systems — without being a single district, school, or bureaucracy.

For years, school choice debates have focused on hypotheticals: Would parents actually use it? Would participation be meaningful?

The data is now answering those questions.

Tens of thousands of students may ultimately be served through this program — not because they were assigned to it, but because their families chose it.

With nearly a month of applications still ahead, the final numbers will continue to grow. But even today, one conclusion is hard to ignore: Idaho families are paying attention, and they’re voting with their feet.