Idaho Ends Public School Grant Program After Creating Private School Tax Credit

Idaho lawmakers recently eliminated a $30 million Empowering Parents grant program that helped public school students purchase educational supplies, while maintaining a newly created $50 million tax credit for private school and homeschooling families. The grant program, which primarily benefited public school students for laptops, tutoring, and school supplies, was terminated just weeks after the state established the private education tax credit. Republican Senator Camille Blaylock, who sponsored the bill to end the grants, stated the program had become a "technology slush fund" and denied any connection between ending the grants and funding private education.

The new tax credit allows private and homeschool families to reduce their tax bills by $5,000 per child, with $7,500 available for students with disabilities. Unlike the terminated grant program, which required purchases through state-approved vendors, the tax credit has limited oversight on how funds are spent. The Idaho Freedom Foundation, a conservative advocacy group, explicitly proposed redirecting the $30 million from the eliminated program to expand the private school tax credit program, potentially benefiting an additional 6,000 private and homeschool students.

Democratic Representative Soñia Galaviz criticized the decision, expressing concern for public school families who would lose access to educational resources. School board chair Jason Sevy noted that the grants had particularly helped low-income families in rural areas where private school options are limited or nonexistent. Critics argue the shift in funding disproportionately benefits families who have already chosen private education, while supporters frame it as expanding educational choice.

Governor Brad Little, who previously praised the Empowering Parents program as "effective, popular and worthy of continued investment," signed the bill to eliminate it on April 14. In his explanation, the governor stated that since the pandemic is "squarely in the rearview mirror," he agreed with legislators that the program had served its purpose. The debate reflects broader national tensions over public education funding and the role of government in supporting various educational models.