President’s executive order on ed choice – a call to arms for Idaho?
- Chris Cargill
- Jan 30
- 2 min read
Updated: Jan 30
President Donald Trump’s pen is setting a new standard in the debate over education choice, just as Idaho lawmakers debate a proposal to expand options for local families.
On Wednesday, the President issued an executive order to expand educational freedom and opportunities for all families. In the order, the president calls on state officials to put politics aside and allow parents to choose the best educational setting for their children.
He may not have mentioned Idaho directly, but the message was loud and clear.
The executive order confirms what MSPC has previously researched and reported: “the growing body of rigorous research demonstrates that well-designed education-freedom programs improve student achievement and cause nearby public schools to improve their performance.”
The order comes as numerous bills are introduced in the legislatures of Idaho, Montana and Wyoming to expand options. On Thursday, the House Revenue and Taxation committee in Idaho introduced an updated version of the Idaho Parental Choice Tax Credit.
The bill – HB 93 – would provide a $5,000 tax credit to qualifying families for educational expenses including private school tuition. Special needs students could qualify for $7,500 tax credits.
There is a cap on what would be available of $50 million, which is equal to just .0185% of the state’s public school budget.
The bill has strong new accountability measures, including oversight by the state tax commission, and a requirement for parents to submit a satisfaction and engagement survey to evaluate the performance and effectiveness of the tax credit.
Polling shows strong support for a $5,000 tax credit, with the majority of Democrats, Republicans and Independents in Idaho in favor.
Furthermore, contrary to reports of constitutional restrictions, the legal cases prove education choice is possible in Idaho and beyond.
The president has set the stage, the research confirms the validity of the policy, and our families have shown the need. The only thing left is for lawmakers to act.
As a retired teacher, what concerns me most is the state is not monitoring the students that are home schooled. Those that are being tested have no consequences if they are not working on grade level. On the other side of the coin the students I know in private schools are getting a terrific education.
Propaganda at it's finest! There is not strong support to give public money to religious education centers. Most here support public systems, not siphoning from already struggling rural schools with a 4 day week.