Expanding education choice will no-doubt be on the mind of legislators who return to state capitols during their 2025 legislative sessions. Some states have been eager to expand their choice offerings, while others have been more reluctant.
One of the most common arguments made against offering more choice options for families is that it would be too expensive for state taxpayers, or that families who choose to send their child to a school outside of the public K-12 system should be left to fend for themselves financially.
These arguments center the conversation of choice on money, rather than on what’s best for the child’s education. They also have a fatal flaw: they ignore the overwhelming savings – in the billions of dollars – that private and home school families are voluntarily offering to the state by paying their taxes while refusing the government offering of public schooling.
A public accounting of the private and home school savings has, to our knowledge, never been released. That is, until the publication of a new Mountain States Policy Center report.
Idaho: $2.089 billion savings
In Idaho, our research shows more than 36,000 students attend class in a private or home school setting.
Like many other states, Idaho has dramatically increased K-12 spending over the past decade. In fact, Idaho has more than doubled the state allocation to public education. On average, Idaho now spends $8,472 per student, per year on K-12 schooling. This does not include large sums at the local level, approved via levies and bonds, as well as any federal dollars. In some of the state’s largest districts, the amount spent per student increases to as much as $15,000 per student, per year.
The state spending alone means that private and home school families in Idaho are offering a $310 million savings to taxpayers in the most recent school year. Over the past decade, families in Idaho who have chosen private or home schooling have saved the state more than $2 billion – nearly as much as the entire Idaho K-12 budget.
Washington: $11.3 billion savings
Washington state lawmakers are spending more on K-12 public education than ever before. In fact, at more than $14 billion per year, it makes up roughly 50% of the state’s general fund budget. State only funding is more than $13,000 per student, per year on K-12. Again, this does not account for local or federal funds, which in some areas push the total to nearly $20,000.
Enrollment in K-12 public schools in the Evergreen State peaked in 2019 but has declined by more than 40,000 since Washington state implemented drastic COVID lock downs and kept schools closed for months on end.
Nearly 90,000 students attend private schools in Washington, and another 30,000 students are home schooled.
Our analysis shows the state of Washington is now saving more than $1.4 billion a year thanks to the 118,000 families who send their children to a private school or home school. Over the past ten years, those families have provided the state with more than $11 billion in savings.
Montana: $710.6 million savings
Unlike in Washington, the population of K-12 public school students has increased nine of the past ten years in the state of Montana. Roughly 150,000 students attend K-12 public schools in the Treasure State, which makes up just under 90% of the total eligible population.
Montana’s state budget for K-12 has jumped 32% since 2014, to a current total of more than $873 million per year. When just state funds are considered, Montana spends $5,879 per student, per year.
Montana’s enormous geographic size and limited population make private schooling more challenging. Still, 5.5% of the state’s eligible population attends a private school and there are 130 private schools in the state. Another 4.5% attend homeschooling. The Treasure State is a home school friendly state, with only a handful of requirements.
The analysis shows Montana taxpayers have saved $710.6 million over the past ten years thanks to the number of families sending their children to either a private school or deciding to home school. That savings is nearly enough to pay for one year of the state’s total K-12 spending.
Wyoming: $707.1 million savings
Roughly 90,000 students attend K-12 public schools in Wyoming. These numbers have steadily declined since 2014. Still, a large percentage of the state’s eligible children – 93.4% - attend one of the 361 public schools.
Wyoming has a unique funding formula for public schools, using a pool of different revenue sources that can be used to fund school districts adequately. As a result, despite its small population, Wyoming’s K-12 allocation of more than one billion dollars each year for K-12 public education remains remarkably consistent. This equals roughly $16,649 per student, per year, and includes local funds.
Only 1.8% of the state’s eligible population of students attends a private school in Wyoming, while 4.1% are home schooled. There are only 30 private schools throughout the entire state. Charter schools are also few and far between in Wyoming.
With Wyoming’s unique funding mechanism for public schools, per student amounts spent each year are relatively high. We can calculate that taxpayers have saved more than $707 million over the past ten years thanks to the roughly 6,000 families that have either sent their child to a private school or home schooled.
Why this matters
Families who choose to send their child to a private school or decide homeschooling is best do so for a variety of reasons. Some may be religious, while others may need a better educational environment.
Too many families considering such an arrangement are forced into financial difficulty, most being required to pay twice – once for the system they don’t use, and again for the option that works better for their child.
The various education choice proposals discussed in Idaho, for example, have had a price tag of anywhere from $50 to $90 million per year – less than a third of what private and homeschooling families are saving the state, according to the research.
There have been zero proposals seeking to reimburse families for the entire amount that would otherwise have been spent on their K-12 education. This means the state collects more money for a benefit it does not provide, despite the educational promises made in state constitutions.
Families and children saving state taxpayers millions, and, in turn, reducing overcrowding in schools, deserve more options for education. They deserve praise, not scorn.
At the very least, they deserve a thank you.