Growing up, I struggled in school. Despite my mother’s best efforts to help me, I consistently fell behind. Like many Idaho parents, she wanted the best for me.
I did well throughout most of elementary school. However, once I hit the fourth grade, everyone suddenly started progressing while I felt stuck in place. Learning in a class with 30-40 students and one teacher was impossible for me.
I was fortunate that my mom wouldn’t give up on me and did everything she could to get me into a better school. I tried multiple public schools and a charter school. But even then, it wasn’t enough. For years, I felt abandoned—just another name on the attendance sheet, struggling to keep up in overcrowded classrooms with teachers stretched too thin.
Everything changed when I transferred to Elevate Academy, a charter school that offered trade-focused education and personalized support. There, I wasn’t just another student; I was an individual with unique needs and aspirations. I finally had teachers who saw me, supported me, and refused to let me fail. Elevate gave me the opportunity to explore business and culinary arts, trades that have set me up for success. More importantly, my school stood by me when life got hard—when my mother fell ill, and I thought I would have to drop out to care for her. My teachers and the administration made sure I stayed on track, giving me the flexibility and encouragement I needed to graduate.
Today, I am a student at the college of Western Idaho. I wouldn’t be where I am without my education, but most importantly, I wouldn’t even have made it to the Elevate’s doors if my mom didn’t have the ability to repeatedly choose something different when she did.
This is what school choice is about: ensuring that every student has access to an education that meets their needs at different stages in their lives and not forcing them into a one-size-fits-all system.
That’s why I showed up to the Idaho Statehouse to testify in support of House Bill 93, the Idaho Parental Choice Tax Credit. This bill would give all Idaho families, like my own sister who is a homeschool mom, the ability to tailor their kids’ education to their specific needs. For other families, it would allow them to access educational expenses that are often out of reach like private school tuition.
I woke up at 6 a.m. and traveled from Caldwell to Boise, eager to share my story. I was the second person to sign up to testify. But I never got the chance to speak. Instead, I sat in the hearing room and listened as advocates for district public schools and, sadly, even a charter school founder, dismissed families like mine.
They argued that Idaho already has “enough options,” pointing to magnet and charter schools as if those choices work for every student. The reality is that those options don’t always work. I know because I’ve lived it.
There are still thousands of students stuck on long waitlists, hoping for a chance at a better education. There are families who would love to homeschool or send their child to a private school that aligns with their values, but they simply can’t afford it. House Bill 93 would change that.
I sat there in disbelief; the words stung.
I had lived what they were talking about. I had experienced the struggle of being stuck in a school that wasn’t working for me. I had felt that hopelessness.
If a district school had been the answer, I wouldn’t have needed to look at charter schools. If a single charter school had been the answer, I wouldn’t have needed Elevate. If every student learned the same way, I wouldn’t have spent years feeling lost.
House Bill 93 has thankfully passed both the Tax & Revenue Committee and the full House. But the fight isn’t over. I never got to share my testimony in the hearing room. But my story — and stories like mine — deserve to be heard. The Idaho Parental Choice Tax Credit is a step toward education freedom for all Idaho families, a chance all children deserve.
