School Choice Comes to Idaho at Last 

In an exciting development for education reform, Idaho recently signed House Bill 93 into law; designed to expand school choice for families across the state. Thanks to Governor Brad Little’s signature of HB 93, parents are granted greater control over their children’s education, allowing them to select the school—public, private, or charter—that best fits their child’s needs. 

“With the passage of the $50 million Parental Choice Tax Credit program, Idaho boasts even more abundant schooling options for Idaho students and families,” Gov. Little said in a statement. 

House Bill 93 introduces an educational savings account (ESA) program that allocates funds to families, which can be used for various educational expenses, including tuition, textbooks, and online coursework. Families are set to receive up to $5,000 per student for eligible education expenses, including tuition, under HB 93. That number jumps to $7,500 for students with disabilities. 

Idaho is not alone in this transformative journey. Numerous states across the U.S. are following suit, recognizing the importance of school choice in empowering families and enhancing educational quality. Idaho is leading the charge and setting an example for other Republican-led states that have so far failed to enact school choice. 

Texas is one of the other states on the doorstep of expanding school choice. Rep. Brad Buckley (R) of Texas introduced House Bill 3 this session. Historically, the Texas House has been the biggest obstacle to passing school choice legislation. In 2017, 2021, and 2023, pro-school choice bills stalled out in the House before being able to make it to Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk. This year, Gov. Abbott has made it a priority to carry out ESAs and with bigger majorities of legislators who support educational freedom for Texan schoolchildren, meaningful school choice legislation has its best shot yet at becoming law.  

In addition to Texas, Kansas has also made strides in moving forward with school choice legislation. Kansas’ Senate Education Committee is seriously considering SB 75, which would replicate Idaho’s success with signing HB 93. Committee Chairwoman Renee Erickson, a Wichita Republican, said “education freedom is the key to education,” and promised to “get it done” this year. 

Other states that have already passed universal school choice programs demonstrate the obvious success that comes with it. For example, Florida passed universal school choice in 2023. Since then, Governor Ron DeSantis announced Florida has surpassed 500,000 students participating in Florida’s school choice scholarship program. 

“Florida is the number one state for education because of our commitment to providing every student with the option that works best for them,” said Gov. DeSantis. “I am proud that we have enabled over 500,000 students to access a high-quality education that fits their individual needs.” 

Idaho’s victory on this much smaller, $50 million tax credit bill will hopefully mark a great first step toward even broader reform in the years to come, following in the footsteps of universal school choice states like Florida and Arizona.