CLIMBING: 215 families per day are signing up for Idaho parental choice tax credit

We’re now four weeks into Idaho’s parental choice tax credit, and the numbers continue to move in a clear direction.

Since applications opened on January 15, a total of 6,030 families have applied, covering 10,105 students. That’s not a one-day surge. That’s nearly a month of steady participation.

Across the first 28 days, the average works out to:

• ~215 families per day

• ~361 students per day

• About 1.7 students per family

  
  

That’s a consistent flow of families choosing to engage with the program.

With 32 days remaining before the application deadline, here’s what participation could look like if current trends hold — or slow.

If the current pace continues:

• ~12,900 families total

• ~21,650 students total

  
  

If participation slows to half the current pace:

• ~9,500 families

• ~15,900 students

  
  

If participation slows to a quarter of the current pace:

• ~7,750 families

• ~13,000 students

  
  

Even under the most conservative scenario, thousands more Idaho families are likely to apply before the window closes.

Education policy debates often revolve around theory — what families might do if given more options. What we’re seeing now is something much simpler: families are acting.

Six thousand families in four weeks suggests this program is not fringe. It’s not hypothetical. It’s being used.

The deadline is March 15. If the first month is any indication, participation will continue to grow — and the final numbers will tell an even clearer story.