Idaho School Choice is Off to a Strong Start!
Idaho parents are speaking up, and the message is clear: Families want more choices when it comes to their children’s education!
I wanted to share an update on Idaho’s Parental Choice Tax Credit and what has happened since we passed this important legislation.
The program has now completed its first application cycle, and the response has been tremendous. More than 7,000 applications were submitted, representing over 12,500 Idaho students. The program reached its nearly $50 million annual funding limit, showing just how strong the demand is for educational choice.
We also saw an important legal victory. Earlier this year, the Idaho Supreme Court unanimously rejected a constitutional challenge to the program, allowing it to move forward and giving families greater certainty.
Idaho School Choice: What Does the Tax Credit Cover?
The program provides up to $5,000 per eligible student and up to $7,500 for students with qualifying disabilities.
Because it is a refundable tax credit, the program is administered through the Idaho State Tax Commission, which oversees eligibility, applications, and qualifying expenses.
I’ve received several questions about what families can and cannot use the credit for.
Qualifying expenses include:
Nonpublic school tuition
Homeschool curriculum and textbooks
Tutoring in core academic subjects
Certain academic tests and preparation courses
Reasonable transportation to and from nonpublic schools
The credit is not a general spending account. Sports fees, athletic equipment, uniforms, band expenses, musical instruments, vacations, and other nonacademic purchases do not qualify.
One important clarification: Beginning with 2026 expenses, participating students may take part in public-school sports, band, and other extracurricular activities without automatically losing eligibility. However, the tax credit cannot be used to pay for those activities.
For additional information, visit Idaho’s official My School Choice website.
This is exactly why I supported this legislation. Parents know their children best, and I believe they should have more opportunities to choose an education that meets their family’s needs.
There’s still work to do, but Idaho has taken a meaningful step forward in protecting parental choice and expanding educational freedom.
District 10
Comments