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Introducing the first Public School Transparency Index
School district budgets are a maze of numbers and jargon that most citizens cannot understand. Even some lawmakers have difficulty...

MSPC Newsroom
May 12 min read


Ignore the noise: Idaho's new ed choice law is completely constitutional
Citizens, lawmakers and the media must understand and expect any new program to face legal challenges, especially when it is perceived to threaten special interest groups including unions.

Chris Cargill
Apr 234 min read


Transparent Idaho website adds additional details on education spending
Have you ever wondered how your tax dollars are being spent in Idaho? State Controller Brandon Woolf has just the tool for you:...

Jason Mercier
Apr 172 min read


Open Enrollment: The most popular public education choice option
Imagine being assigned to a grocery store based on your zip code. Would you be able to find all the products you need at the right price?...

Chris Cargill
Apr 154 min read


Idaho wraps up a monumentally successful legislative session
Legislators adjourned Friday afternoon, 89 days after they kicked off the session on a foggy, cold January morning in Boise. Nearly 800 bill

MSPC Newsroom
Apr 42 min read


Public schools are set up to fail
If we want to improve the performance of our schools, which is crucial to both the economic health and security of our nation, we need to ch

Donald P. Nielsen
Mar 303 min read


The two sentence bill, and the call for school budget transparency
Idaho's state House has approved perhaps the simplest bill introduced this legislative session. The measure - House Bill 416, introduced by

Chris Cargill
Mar 212 min read


Idaho bills would provide traditional public schools more flexibility to innovate
Having already enacted enhanced education choice options for families ( HB 93 ), Idaho lawmakers are continuing their education reform...

Jason Mercier
Mar 173 min read


Why the road to education choice in Idaho was so bumpy
Why, in conservative Idaho, did it take so long? Like any state, there are a variety of factors at play. The dominance of a union, apprehens

Chris Cargill
Mar 122 min read


Parents and students score big victories in Wyoming and Idaho
Parents and children are two of the biggest victors of this year’s legislative sessions in Wyoming and Idaho with strong backing from...

Marta Mossburg
Mar 53 min read


Time to pull the plug on the Department of Education
For too long, the massive federal bureaucracy has been allowed to grow while becoming less and less efficient in how it spends tax dollars.

Donald P. Nielsen
Mar 13 min read


Idaho Governor signs education choice expansion
The policy change - a Mountain States Policy Center (MSPC) recommendation based on years of research - was sponsored by Senators Lori Den Ha

MSPC Newsroom
Feb 272 min read


Great Scott! What Idaho can learn from the fight against charter schools
In 1998, America Online was introducing the nation to the internet. Bill Clinton was president. Michael Jordan was still playing...

Chris Cargill
Feb 262 min read


Idaho families win with passage of education choice expansion
It is rare to see hugs and tears on the floor of the Idaho legislature once a bill is passed. But the joy, in this case, was undeniable.

Chris Cargill
Feb 202 min read


HISTORY MADE: Idaho passes universal education choice
H93 provides a $5,000 tax credit to qualifying families for educational expenses including private school tuition. Special needs students co

MSPC Newsroom
Feb 192 min read


BREAKING: President Trump endorses Idaho education choice bill
"This bill, which has my complete and total support, must pass," the president wrote.

MSPC Newsroom
Feb 161 min read


Homeschooling won't be hurt by education choice - here's the research
The Johns Hopkins Homeschool Research Lab completed a thorough analysis of education choice and whether policy changes in a state including

Chris Cargill
Feb 132 min read


Steps toward funding students, not systems
In Idaho, state funds are distributed based on a mechanism called “support units.” It’s a complex formula that takes into account attendance

Chris Cargill
Feb 132 min read


Idaho House passes $50 million parental choice tax credit
HB 93 would provide a $5,000 tax credit to qualifying families for educational expenses including private school tuition. Special needs stud

MSPC Newsroom
Feb 72 min read


Can getting rid of the U.S. Dept. of Education actually improve education?
The federal Education department employs 4,400 people and costs taxpayers about $70 billion every year - quite a large chunk of change consi

Chris Cargill
Feb 73 min read
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