Public schools are in dire need of grassroots support. This legislative session brings with it at least two bills to spend your tax dollars on private schools, without any accountability or transparency at this point. While the legislators pushing these bills or supporting it say it won’t impact public school funding, the $50 million set aside for private school funding could be used in the state’s general fund to support public schools, infrastructure improvements, or simply a tax break for every citizen. Butte County School District will not be immune to this impact, and you as taxpayers will be paying for students who are already attending private schools in large communities where the vast majority of private schools exist rather than having your taxes improve your local schools.
The large majority of students in Idaho attend public schools. Parents and community members need to be active in contacting their legislators in both the house and senate and the governor to let them know you are opposed to funding private schools without accountability, transparency, and access – or at all. Seventeen counties have no private schools and nine counties have one. The bulk of private schools are in Ada and Kootenai Counties far removed from small rural counties like Butte.
These private school funding bills are pitched as parent choice, but the reality is the private schools control who they let in and keep. Parents can apply, but if their children have high cost needs – special education, behavior, etc. – the likelihood is that they won’t be accepted. Further, the funding is supposed to follow the student, but once received the funds stay at the private school even if you decide to re-enroll your child in public school.
The funds being set aside for private schools could be used to fund another CTE teacher, or an art teacher, or another special education teacher for Butte County Schools. These are funds that could give your student more choice in electives than they have now or for additional supports for their learning.
Further, public schools are not fully funded as it is. The federal government has not met its promised funding levels for special education, and state funding hasn’t made up the difference, or met the Idaho Constitutional requirement for funding a “uniform and thorough system of public, free common schools.” This is why many school districts have to run a supplemental levy. Rather than fund private schools with no accountability or transparency like highly regulated public schools, let’s ask our legislators to fully fund public schools.
Groups like the Idaho School Boards Association, the Idaho Association of School Administrators, and the Idaho Business for Education are opposing these bills, but it will take a grassroots effort – your voices – to truly prevent these bills from passing. Outside monies and organizations are backing these bills and their sponsors. Idaho organizations like those mentioned above and the citizen voices within the state are who legislators need to hear from. I strongly encourage you to contact your legislators and the governor to voice your concerns and let them know you support public schools and oppose efforts to fund private schools. Let’s give our students in public schools the support and choice they need.
