Since the COVID pandemic, the number of homeschooling families has jumped nationally and statewide, as many who were forced into it realized the benefits of being able to tailor curriculum to an individual child’s needs, gain a flexible schedule, protect children from bullying and instill one’s family values.
We were one of those families and for the past four years, my husband and I have homeschooled our three children with a classical curriculum focused ultimately on building virtuous human beings with the critical thinking skills to excel academically and life skills to be productive members of society. It’s come at considerable time and effort, particularly on my part as I am the primary teacher. I’ve relearned Latin and how to diagram sentences, read countless books, struggled with formal logic and learned to outsource math to an online program for all of our sanity.
It costs us about $1,750 per year per child and saves state taxpayers almost $50,000 yearly, as per child spending in Wyoming is about $16,650 per student. Over the course of our schooling in Wyoming, we will save state taxpayers a whopping $316,350.
Statewide, homeschoolers and private school families have saved state and federal taxpayers about $707 million over the past decade, according to a report by the Mountain States Policy Center. It only seems fair that those of us not using the tax dollars we pay into the system should receive at least a partial return on our investment during the years our children are learning at home.
Last year state legislators moved to make that a reality by passing a law allowing education savings accounts. ESAs, as they are known, give parents money to offset the cost of homeschooling, private school, tutoring and school supplies, among other expenses. Gov. Mark Gordon restricted the law by sharply narrowing its focus to families earning 150% of the federal poverty line, which is $48,000 for a family of four. Those who meet that qualification can apply for $6,000 per child aged 4 through 12th grade.
Gov. Gordon line-item vetoed parts of the law because he questioned the constitutionality of the legislation as the Wyoming Constitution prohibits giving money to individuals “except for the necessary support for the poor.” He also questioned the fact that it did not prohibit parents from using the money at religious institutions. And in a March letter to Sec. of State Chuck Gray he said, “I am particularly concerned about the potential impact on students enrolled in ESA programs when funding may need to be directed to cover shortfalls in public schools during economic downturns.”
First, parents should have the right to decide what is an appropriate education. ESAs are funded by taxpayers and should be seen as giving parents more freedom to make the best education decisions for their children, not as a handout.
Second, the U.S. Supreme Court decided the governor’s second question in 2022. In its landmark Carson v. Makin decision the court held that Maine’s “nonsectarian” requirement for otherwise available tuition aid violated the free exercise clause of the First Amendment. In other words, if the state is going to provide money for parents to choose a non-religious school, it also needs to provide it to parents who would rather choose a religious school.
Third, Wyoming, like every state, will not just have to deal with economic booms and busts like prior years, but big changes in demographics as the birth rate has declined 17 percent since 2007 in the United States. K-12 public school enrollment has dropped 3.2 percent in the state over the past 10 years and further declines will require tough decisions about closing and combining schools in coming years. Having a robust ESA program will make it easier for parents to navigate those imminent changes and find the best options for their children.
Wyoming lawmakers should move to make ESAs universal this year as in Arizona, where more than 75,000 students in that state have taken advantage of the opportunity since it was enacted in 2022 while simultaneously saving the state money. What’s not to love about giving parents more liberty to make wise decisions for their children while being fiscally responsible?