BOISE, Idaho — In 2023, Idaho lawmakers debated at length about starting Education Savings Accounts, commonly referred to as ESAs. Those accounts were an Idaho answer to the national trend of school vouchers, public funds that are made available for families to enhance their student’s education, including private school tuition.
After several runs from different angles, the legislation stalled. Fast forward to 2024, and a new concept enters the conversation.
House Bill 447 creates a special tax credit for up to $5,000, parents or guardians of a student could use that for qualified education expenses. That includes K-12 tuition and fees related to attending a nonpublic school, tutoring, taking assessments used to determine college admission, costs for textbooks, curriculum, and transportation costs for the purposes of receiving academic instruction.
The legislation was unveiled for the first time in committee this week.
So, how does Idaho’s top education official feel about the idea? KTVB's Joe Parris sat down with Superintendent of Public Instruction Debbie Critchfield.
“At first we were really focused on sort of philosophical points of a checklist that I have. And now I can lay that on top of the bill and say what boxes are checked here,” she said.
Critchfield is a big supporter of school choice, but parents of students question the commitment of resources. She defends the right of parents to choose where their child gets their education.
"Nothing about this bill touches that. It doesn't increase it. It doesn't diminish it. And so if it doesn't increase where I personally feel our focus needs to be, then I start to look and say, what are some of the things that it doesn't do,” Critchfield said.
There are also questions about the allocation of resources.
“I don't know that having a bill put forward that doesn't predominantly focus on needs-based, that was a concern that I had when I looked at that only a small portion of the [money] of the 50 million would actually be needs-driven," she said. "So then I have to ask myself, are we simply paying parents who are already sending their kids to a private school? Because really, this is what that's about."
As Critchfield alluded to, the budget for the idea would be up to $50 million in state funding. Essentially, the first $40 million is a refundable tax credit on a first come first serve basis. Families can claim a tax credit of up to $5,000 per student or $75,000 for kids with special needs. Another $10 million is for lower-income families that do not have the upfront money to get reimbursement.
Critchfield believes the money dedicated to the idea could be utilized differently, and Idaho should learn from other states.
"We do look out and say, is there potential that this grows in a way that it is more of a strain on not just our budget, but, again, taking money from the top? You're taking from corrections, roads, health and welfare, a variety well, anything that the government supports,” Critchfield said.
The conversation continues as the legislation moves through the Idaho House.
“I don't know that all of my boxes got checked," Critchfield said. "There are some concerns. And so I guess we'll wait to see what the final bill looks like and where the legislature weighs in. But for right now, there are enough concerns that I have that, you know, I've got a lot of question marks.”
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