Idaho parents want school choice, and the numbers back it up | Opinion

Like many Idaho parents, we love our children deeply and want nothing more than for them to thrive. We also know from experience that no single education system can meet the needs of every child.

That is why we support Idaho’s Parental Choice Tax Credit, and it’s why we were encouraged, but not surprised, to see recent polling showing strong statewide support for refundable tax credits for K–12 education expenses.

Our three families are different, but we share a common reality: traditional public schools, despite the best intentions of many educators, did not provide the individualized attention and specialized support our children require.

Joshua and Eleanor LoBue are raising seven children in northern Idaho. Two of our older children are on the autism spectrum and have also had to overcome dyslexia. Over the years, we have tried nearly every educational model available — traditional public schools, online programs, homeschooling, co-ops and alternative public schools.

Two of our daughters attend Wired2Learn Academy, a treatment and learning center in Post Falls. Our 16-year-old participates in the Arrowsmith Program, a cognitive training program designed to address the root causes of learning disabilities — driving positive changes in the brain by encouraging new and stronger connections among neurons. The progress she has made academically and emotionally has been life-changing.

Our 11-year-old daughter previously had an Individualized Education Program and struggled with online public schooling, especially ineffective private tutoring and the school’s demand for work samples. She started at Wired2Learn last fall, and she is finally receiving consistent, effective support.

But specialized education comes at a cost. Tuition alone is $25,000 per child per year — an enormous financial strain for a family of nine. Without the Parental Choice Tax Credit, continuing to meet our children’s needs would be difficult if not impossible.

Katie Demczyk’s 14-year-old daughter also attends Wired2Learn, where teachers monitor her seizure disorder. Previously, our daughter attended public school, but her medical condition did not receive the necessary attention there, and meanwhile she was bullied. She began missing educational milestones. Now in her third year at Wired2Learn, she is thriving and more confident and hopeful. We intend to use the Parental Choice Tax Credit to help pay her tuition, which is very expensive for our blended family of six, even with two incomes.

Rubi Dagostino’s family ran into roadblocks with their daughter’s education as well. Rubi and her husband, Rogelio, are naturalized U.S. citizens raising four children in Idaho on a modest income — Rogelio is currently a sign painter, and in the past Rubi has worked four part-time jobs at a time. Our youngest daughter, an 11-year-old, was academically regressing in public school, where time meant for math and reading was often replaced with busy work and movies. We made the difficult decision to homeschool, but our daughter also needs tutoring in math, science, and language arts to catch up.

Those tutors cost money we simply don’t have to spare. The Parental Choice Tax Credit makes it possible.

These are not abstract policy debates for us. They are daily realities, and we are far from alone.

According to new polling conducted by EdChoice and Morning Consult, nearly two-thirds of Idaho adults, 63% support refundable tax credits for K–12 education expenses. Among Idaho parents, support rises to an overwhelming 78%.

The polling also reveals something policymakers should take seriously: while about 80% of Idaho students attend traditional public schools, only 39% of parents say a public school would be their first choice if they had real options. Most parents would choose a charter school, private school, or homeschooling if financial barriers were removed.

The will of Idaho parents is clear.

Now, the program’s future is uncertain due to an ongoing legal challenge, with oral arguments in the case this week. EdChoice Legal Advocates, in partnership with Institute for Justice, is representing our families in this fight.

Idaho’s education policy should help parents achieve a bright future for their children. The Parental Choice Tax Credit does exactly that.

Josh LoBue and Eleanor LoBue, Katie Demczyk and Rubi Dagostino are parents who filed an amicus brief against a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Idaho’s school choice tax credit.