MY TURN: Idaho already has School Choice

Can we stop referring to it as “School Choice?” Idaho families already have school choice. If you want to attend a public school; you have that choice. If you want to attend a private school; you have that choice. If you want to attend a Christian or parochial based school; you have that choice. If you want to home school; you have that choice. Nobody is stopping anyone from attending the school of their choice.  

What this is really about is funding, more simply put: MONEY. I understand people who choose not to send their children to public schools not wanting to pay for public schools and then having to pay for whatever form of school that they choose. However, this being America, I don’t feel that those who do pay taxes to support public schools should be subsidizing those who make the choice to send their child(ren) to non-public schools. That is their choice, not mine or other taxpayers. The taxpayers should not be subsidizing private enterprises, which private and home schools are. They are private enterprises.  

The Idaho Constitution: Article IX. Section 1: “LEGISLATURE TO ESTABLISH SYSTEM OF FREE SCHOOLS. The stability of a republican form of government depending mainly upon the intelligence of the people, it shall be the duty of the legislature of Idaho, to establish and maintain a general, uniform and thorough system of public, free common schools.”  

Notice the last sentence: “… system of public, free common schools.” PUBLIC. Not private, not Christian or parochial, not home, but public. That requires taxpayer dollars to be used to meet the “PUBLIC” requirement of schools.  

As such, Idaho taxpayers are Constitutionally required to fund PUBLIC schools, not private, Christian or parochial, not home schools. Using taxpayer dollars, whether in the form of vouchers, tax credits, etc. … is directing taxpayer dollars to schools other than public schools. It is subsidizing the CHOICE or families to send their children where they desire.  

I have no problem, and even support, that those parents who choose to send their children to private, Christian or parochial, home schools, be given a tax exemption from the amount shown on their property tax bill designated for the school district that they live in. Not a tax credit or voucher, but simply exempt them from paying whatever the levy amount is. If the amount to their local district is $500, then they are exempt from paying that $500. Some want the amount of their state or federal taxes that are allocated to public schools to be exempted. I’m sure that the bean counters can develop a formula to determine how much of the actual tax dollars paid by the variety of income and tax liability brackets, actually is allocated to public schools and exempt them from that amount.  

However, many will probably be surprised that the amount of their tax dollars that ends up actually being allocated to Idaho public schools will be minimal. Of the, for example: $9,000 per student, the majority of that is paid by the top percentage of taxpayers. Most middle- and lower-income taxpayers probably pay a very small percentage (actual dollar amount) to schools.  

According to The Tax Foundation (https://taxfoundation.org/data/all/federal/latest-federal-income-tax-data-2024/) 45.8% of federal taxes are paid by the top 1% of taxpayers and the top 50% of all taxpayers paid 97.7% of all federal individual income taxes. I venture that similar percentages apply to state taxes. I have to ask, how many of those who utilize the CHOICE of sending their children to non-public schools are in the top 50%, let alone the top 1%. The amount of state and federal taxes (that come back to Idaho) of those who CHOOSE non-public schools is most likely far lower than most think. As with everything, the highest income earners pay the majority of school funds.   

So yes, let’s make those (who utilize the already available School Choice to send their children to non-public schools) whole. Make it a zero-sum equation. Exempt them from the local property tax to public schools and develop a formula to exempt them from the actual amount of their federal tax dollars (that may be returned to the state) that may be allocated to public schools, and the actual amount of their state tax that is allocated to public schools. Exemptions, not credits or vouchers. My guess is that it may end up being somewhere around $1,000, maybe $1,500? Not sure, but I highly doubt that it would be anywhere near the proposed $5,000, let alone the $9,500 proposed.  

If you want to use your already existing choice to send your child to non-public schools, great! But, don’t expect the taxpayer to subsidize your choice. You get the exemption from the actual tax dollars that you would pay, but no more. You make up the difference to pay for your freedom of choice.

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Ed DePriest is a Hayden resident.