Idaho School-Choice Credits Mostly Go to Higher-Income Families

Idaho’s first $50 million Parental Choice Tax Credit program largely subsidized private education for families whose children were already outside public schools, according to newly released state data. Recipient households reported average adjusted gross income of $178,000, and about 55% earned above the program’s 300%-of-poverty threshold for priority access; only about one-quarter of students had previously attended public school. Nearly all of the $38.8 million awarded went toward tuition, and all but four of the 50 schools most commonly used by recipients were affiliated with Christian denominations. Critics say the results conflict with supporters’ claims that the program would expand access for lower-income families, and some Democratic lawmakers faulted the state for releasing the data after the election.