Parents and children are two of the biggest victors of this year’s legislative sessions in Wyoming and Idaho with strong backing from President Donald Trump.
Universal choice bills in both states provide parents with financial means to pick the public, private, and homeschool options, along with other educational services, to help their children thrive academically. Idaho’s Gov. Brad Little signed House Bill 93 on February 27, writing that “providing high-quality education for Idaho students will always be our top priority.” The legislation provides a $5,000 tax credit for families and will be paid for without touching public school budgets.
It’s available to all, but low-income families will be given priority in the selection process. The credit is capped at $50 million. Parents receiving a credit will be required to respond to a yearly parent “satisfaction and engagement survey” that questions the quality of curriculum, instruction, school leadership and safety, among other issues.
In Wyoming, House Bill 199 provides all parents with $7,000 to use towards the above options. It will also provide money for pre-k schooling costs, but only for families earning up to 250 percent of the federal poverty level, which is $80,375 for a family of four. As with Idaho, the law does not impact public school budgets. Scholarships will be funded with federal dollars, lessees or mine operators, and money earned from the sale or production of mineral leases and will be granted on a first come, first served basis in case demand outpaces funds available.
It requires that students be assessed on academic progress and take reading, writing, math, civics, history, literature and science. Some school choice supporters rejected the bill because it requires government testing, but if parents don’t want that obligation, they always have the option of not taking the money. Gov. Mark Gordon signed the bill into law on March 4.
Also in Wyoming, homeschool parents achieved a big win with the passage of HB 46, The Homeschool Freedom Act, which ends the requirement that parents submit paperwork outlining the curriculum for each of their children educated at home. Gov. Gordon signed that legislation into law on February 27.
Opponents said eliminating the requirement will lead to an end to all oversight. But as those who homeschool know -- including our family--the school district never followed up on the information and sent all communication via certified mail at exorbitant expense. Ending the practice has nothing to do with accountability and everything to do with wasting time and money for performative purposes.
What the laws will do is open the door to creating a whole new ecosystem of schools and services that have the potential to help every student, not just those enrolled in the program. As Mountain States Policy Center found in a review of 187 school choice studies, “the growing body of rigorous research demonstrates that well-designed education-freedom programs improve student achievement and cause nearby public schools to improve their performance.”
Speaking of achievement, student performance in both Wyoming and Idaho leaves much room for improvement. A large majority of students are not proficient in math and reading in 4th and 8th grade in Idaho and Wyoming, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress. The states like to point out that their students outperform national averages, but that’s like celebrating an “F.”
For too long state governments have judged their education system by the money allocated to schools instead of the learning achieved by students. These bills put parents back in charge of deciding which educational options are best for their children and provide incentives for many different school environments to thrive.
Governors Gordon and Little should be applauded for supporting legislation designed not to beat national averages but to help the people and economies of both states to excel while providing families more education options.