I recently applied for the advanced payment through the Idaho Parental Choice Tax Credit, and I cannot begin to describe how excited and hopeful I feel. My children have been attending private school since 2021, and the opportunity for financial relief through this program would be an incredible blessing for our family.

Our journey to private school began during the pandemic.

When my daughter was in second grade at Collister Elementary, she was diagnosed with dyslexia and placed on a 504 plan. She also suffers from a rare migraine disorder called Alice in Wonderland Syndrome, which causes severe visual distortions during migraine episodes. Sometimes these episodes last for hours, making it extremely difficult for her to focus or learn.

When schools closed in the spring of 2020, what was supposed to last a month stretched into more than a year. During that time, I watched my daughter’s confidence disappear. She struggled to learn through a screen while already facing significant learning challenges. There were days she cried, telling me she felt stupid. As a parent, it was heartbreaking.

During that time, I searched for help and resources for students with learning disabilities, hoping to find tutoring or additional support for my daughter, but I couldn’t find the help we needed. Eventually, I withdrew my children from public school and briefly tried a charter school, but it quickly became clear that it wasn’t the right fit for our family either.

One day my son was assigned to read an article from a news website for a school project. While it may have been appropriate for older students, I felt it wasn’t the best fit for a fifth grader. Around the same time, parents were discouraged from observing virtual classes. These experiences made me realize we needed a different environment for our children.

So I applied to Cole Valley Christian School, not knowing if there would be an opening or how we would possibly afford the tuition.

Around that same time, my father passed away. The small inheritance he left helped us cover enrollment fees and the first few months of tuition. I will never forget the day we got the call that our children had been accepted. I stood in my kitchen and cried tears of relief.

Our family has made significant sacrifices to keep them there. Because of a serious blood-clotting disorder, I am on disability and unable to work, leaving my husband as the sole provider for our family of four. We have stayed in our small rental home and given up many extras in order to prioritize our children’s education.

And it has been worth it.

When my daughter started at Cole Valley in third grade, she was reading and writing at a kindergarten level. By the end of fourth grade, she was reading and writing at grade level and made the Honor Roll. My son has also flourished and now plays in both the pep band and jazz band, developing his love for music.

Today, both of my children are thriving.

That is why programs like the Idaho Parental Choice Tax Credit matter so much. They give families the freedom to choose the educational environment that best supports their children and provide meaningful financial relief to families making sacrifices for their kids’ futures.

As a parent of a child with a learning disability, that opportunity means everything to me. I am incredibly hopeful that our application for the advanced payment will be approved, and I am grateful for programs that help families like mine continue giving our children the education they deserve.

– Jessica Everett is an Idaho mother of two and a parent advocate for educational choice.