Moscow school district uses public trust to sue taxpayers | Opinion

The Moscow School District is on the wrong side of history. The district’s school board voted Tuesday night to sue the people of Idaho over the state’s new education choice tax credit.

Later in the day Wednesday, we found out that other groups are involved, including the state teachers union.

This lawsuit doesn’t stand up for students. Instead, it’s standing in the way of parents, punishing taxpayers and trying to take choices away from Idaho families who need them most.

Let’s not sugarcoat it: this lawsuit is about control. The district’s leaders said clearly that they were afraid the law could lead to a reduction in enrollment.

Put simply, they are afraid of what happens when families have options. They don’t want parents deciding what’s best for their kids. They want to lock every child into a one-size-fits-all system that has been failing too many for too long.

But here’s what they won’t tell you: House Bill 93 is not a voucher. It doesn’t take one dime away from Idaho’s public schools. In fact, lawmakers were deliberate in structuring the program so that public school budgets keep growing — as they have year after year. HB 93 simply gives families a tax credit to help cover private school tuition, tutoring, curriculum or other educational needs. It’s no different than a grocery tax credit or child tax credit. The money goes to families, not institutions.

A ruling against the education choice tax credit would be folly, calling into question the constitutional authority of the legislature to set the state’s tax policy.

The claim that this is “unconstitutional” is also not accurate. Courts from Arizona to West Virginia to Georgia have already settled this issue. In case after case, judges have ruled that tax credits and scholarship programs are legal, fair and constitutional — because they help children, not bureaucracies. Parents make the choices, not government officials.

So why sue? Because opponents fear competition. They know that when families are given the freedom to choose, public schools have to improve. That means accountability. That means putting students over systems.

Instead of rising to that challenge, Moscow’s leaders and the state’s union activists are hiding behind lawyers.

And who pays for that? You could. Taxpayers in Moscow could be on the hook for lawyers’ fees in a political fight against Idaho families. Instead of investing time and resources into helping students succeed, the board is spending energy trying to shut down opportunity.

Worse yet, they’re attacking the very families who could benefit most — working-class and middle-class parents who simply want the same choices that wealthier families already enjoy. The lawsuit sends one message loud and clear: “We don’t trust parents to decide what’s best for their kids. Only we do.”

That’s not just arrogant. It’s insulting.

Gov. Brad Little got it right when he said, “Idaho can have it all — strong public schools and education freedom.” The two are not mutually exclusive. In fact, they can complement one another. Strong public schools are essential, but so is the right of parents to chart the best path for their children.

This lawsuit isn’t about protecting education. It’s about protecting the system. It’s about keeping power in the hands of bureaucrats instead of families. And if they succeed, it won’t be school board members who suffer. It will be Idaho’s children.

The bottom line is simple: families win when they have choices. Taxpayers win when dollars are used efficiently. Children win when they have opportunities tailored to their needs. The only ones who lose are the unions, bureaucrats, and administrators who want to control every decision.

The lawsuit is a slap in the face to families, a waste of taxpayer dollars and a cynical attempt to keep parents in their place. Idaho families deserve better.

Chris Cargill is the president of Mountain States Policy Center, a free market think tank based in Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and eastern Washington. Online at mountainstatespolicy.org.

This story was originally published September 20, 2025 at 4:00 AM.