Idaho’s new education tax credit, which state officials passed as House Bill 93 with significant objections from Idaho citizens, continues to raise questions about how it will be managed. The program is currently under watch of the Idaho Tax Commission, along with the Idaho Legislature; given the Governor’s decision to disregard over 30,000 Idahoans calls to his office to veto HB 93, it certainly seems he will have something to say about this in the future. Individuals, Idaho interest groups, and outside interest groups are shaping public opinion. As a reflection of our national education picture, the federal government has introduced a school voucher-style program, and several other states are already traveling down this road.

This Idaho version of privatizing the education system is ultimately just that, another effort to use what some claim as competition and free markets to justify capitalism as a driver of our state and nation. Capitalism, not democracy. Money, not freedom or choice. The problem is, we are not talking about groceries, phones, or cars, to which Idaho’s GOP chair recently compared our schools. We are talking about our children and their parents, families of human beings who deserve more than just a competitive free market to dictate their future; we need to uphold “stability of a republican form of government depending mainly upon the intelligence of the people,” which “shall be the duty of the legislature of Idaho.”

On January 23, 2026, the Idaho Supreme Court will hear arguments from both sides of a lawsuit brought before them regarding this controversial and veiled attempt to privatize our education system. The group of plaintiffs bringing the lawsuit forward includes groups representing a wide range of perspectives: democrat/republican, male/female, rich/poor. On the other hand, the defendants represent an increasingly one-sided perspective, one that proclaims this educational tax credit will offer more “choice” for parents and families. At the same time, the defendants are working with at least one major out-of-state interest group “which had spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on school choice advocacy in Idaho.” Those defending the use of our taxpayer dollars to pay for someone’s child to attend private schooling are quick to point out that public schools are a “broken system” with poor outcomes. However, responsible researchers of the long-term impacts of tax credits or school vouchers will say that there is not enough data to support those statements.

But, the defendants in this lawsuit and those in favor nationally will be quick to use statistics about declining results on standardized tests (while elsewhere commenting they don’t really believe in standardized testing), conveniently omitting the fact that we are still recovering from a global pandemic or that the population of children in our state has been declining for some time now. Plaintiffs, and those of us opposed to this irresponsible use of state taxpayer dollars, are not saying private education has no place in the education system. And, we are not against parents making decisions for their own children, as proponents of this poor decision making have stated. We are saying that if your values strongly inform your decision to educate your children outside of public-school systems, then you are responsible in paying for that choice, not public taxpayers.

Defendants, the Idaho GOP, and others will try to paint the picture that those of us showing up and vocally pushing back on this irresponsible use of taxpayer dollars are just a bunch of activists looking to derail or agitate. That is deflection from the fact that tax credits for private schooling are unpopular and unproven; not to mention the projection, gaslighting, and misrepresentation of our fellow Idahoans who are exercising their right to question legislation or their elected officials. In the world of politics, this is distraction or in the case of a disproportionate but vocal minority, it is just flat-out distortion of the truth. Time will tell the story, and people will sort out facts from fiction. For those of us who will continue in this effort, as per our Idaho Constitution, we will “freely speak, write and publish on all subjects, being responsible for the abuse of that liberty.” And we will “assemble in a peaceable manner, to consult for their common good; to instruct their representatives, and to petition the legislature for the redress of grievances.”

Steve Neiner is a licensed clinical social worker in Pocatello, Idaho, who also holds a bachelor’s degree in education. He is the father of three, grandfather of two, and believes that the future of our great state is directly connected to the strength of our public education system