Last week, I added my name to a lawsuit challenging Idaho’s school voucher law in the Supreme Court. To be clear, I don’t have a problem with school choice. I have a problem with the government spending my constituents’ money to create an unconstitutional, separate-but-unequal private school voucher — one that pits urban students against rural students, rich families against poor families, and believers against non-believers.
I’m not alone. The coalition of educators, former lawmakers, parents and constitutional experts joining this lawsuit stand with the more than 32,000 Idahoans who flooded the governor’s office in February with messages in opposition to House Bill 93, the bill that created vouchers in Idaho. Their message is simple: public money belongs in public schools.
The Idaho Constitution could not be clearer. Article IX, Section 1 directs the Legislature to “establish and maintain a general, uniform and thorough system of public, free common schools.” HB 93 does the opposite. As a legislator representing Idaho Falls, my vote against vouchers during the legislative session couldn’t have been easier. Why would I even entertain the idea of pulling $50 million from our general fund to pay for completely unaccountable and fiscally irresponsible tax credits?
Unlike public schools, which are heavily regulated because they are paid for by taxpayers, the private schools that will benefit from HB 93 face virtually no oversight. No mandatory background checks for staff. No certification for teachers. No accreditation. No curriculum reviews. No spending reports. No report cards. And no obligation to accept every child, regardless of ability, income, race or religion.
Can you imagine if we held our public schools to the same dismally low standard? Yet voucher proponents call this educational “freedom.” What they really mean is freedom from responsibility to the 95 % of Idaho children who attend our public schools.
HB 93 is especially harsh on rural communities. Most private schools in the state are concentrated in Ada and Kootenai counties; not surprising, given that’s where the bulk of the state’s wealth is, too. Most rural families have no access to such schools, so vouchers serve only a few while hurting the many. When dollars are drained from already underfunded districts, small schools may be forced to close. That could mean longer bus rides for sleepy children and cash-strapped local taxpayers forced to pay for even more bonds and levies. Public schools are the backbone of rural Idaho. Are we really going to weaken them, destabilizing entire communities?
The financial risk is just as dire. Idaho’s vouchers will launch with a $50 million price tag, but other states show how quickly the costs can spiral out of control, from millions to billions. We can’t afford to replicate the mistakes made in other states like Florida and Arizona. Every dollar spent on vouchers is a dollar stripped away from programs that benefit every student – from special education, which is already underfunded by at least $80 million, to busing, technology upgrades, buildings, maintenance and advanced coursework.
We should be spending our energy strengthening our public schools. That means supporting parental involvement and investing in evidence-based teaching strategies. These solutions could help every Idaho child succeed, not just the few admitted to private institutions.
But more than that: the future of Idaho is not through a tax credit voucher scheme with zero accountability. We should be demanding more and doing more for our public schools. The Legislature should celebrate successes in districts that are improving; where graduation rates are rising, absenteeism is falling, and achievement gaps are narrowing. It should fund innovative and creative ideas: mentoring programs, expanded literacy efforts, career-tech pilot initiatives, after-school STEM labs, teacher professional development tailored to local needs. The Legislature should spend time listening to parents, to teachers, to school boards, to caregivers, and other stakeholders and consider not just top-down mandates but grassroots solutions that fit Idaho’s diverse communities. Our commitment to taxpayers must be unwavering, tax dollars cannot be diverted to pet projects without accountability.
The framers of Idaho’s Constitution were very clear about why they were creating a public school system: the state needs a populace smart enough to make wise electoral choices. Well-educated people make decisions based on the public good, not just what is good for them.
The Supreme Court will soon weigh in. My fellow petitioners and I are confident the justices will uphold the Constitution and affirm what Idahoans already know: vouchers are unconstitutional, unsustainable and unjust. Public schools serve every child. Public dollars should, too.
About the Author
Representative Stephanie Mickelsen is a Republican legislator representing District 32 in East Idaho.
If you are interested in learning more about the HB93 lawsuit and would like to donate, please visit TakeBackIdaho.com for more information
Excellent commentary, Stephanie.
Expect the far-right to demonize you while scraping the bottom of the barrel to find an unqualified candidate to run against you in the primary.
Also expect the majority of Idahoans who are well informed and fair minded to support you in the lawsuit as well as your path back to the legislature.
We’ve got your back.
When every private school enrolls every kid with disengaged parents, every low income kid, every kid with an IEP, every English language learner, then we can talk about the superiority of private education. Let’s focus on investing in public education so that every student, no matter the background can have success and not the select few who will inevitably use these vouchers.