BOISE, Idaho — Hundreds of educators from across Idaho gathered at the Idaho Statehouse Monday to speak out against school vouchers, a hot topic that impacts public education funding.
"Vouchers come in many forms and go by many names — school choice, tax credits, education savings accounts, but in the end, they all achieve the same sad scheme — taking resources that should be invested in our public schools to provide subsidies for private school education," says Paul Stark, the Idaho Education Association Executive Director.
Gov. Brad Little has been a prominent supporter of so-called "school choice" and was given a national award last year, named a "Charter School Champion."
At his State of the State address, Gov. Little touted the statistic that 30,000 Idaho students attend public charter schools — up 30 percent from just five years ago.
Like last year, we expect to see school choice-related legislation this session.
"I firmly believe that public tax dollars should follow the student and it should follow the student into Idaho's system of common free public schools," says Former Idaho Rep. Julie Yamamoto.
Yamamoto and other leaders in education spoke out against school voucher funding in any form, instead advocating for support of the existing public school system.
"Why are we creating a new system? If we don't think we can control the system we currently have," says Yamamoto.
As we've previously reported, some educators worry how the school voucher model would impact rural school districts and special education programs due to the potential for a flat rate payment per student.
"If you're gonna require a public school system, you should have the same standards and requirements for private schools or people receiving public funds for private purposes," says Teresa Rae, Trustee of the Boundary County School District.
In an effort to get the other side, Idaho News 6 asked several Republican lawmakers for interviews on the issue. Each said they're waiting to see how the upcoming bills are written before voicing their opinions on school choice.
"I'm going to ask you to please, please invest in your public schools that are accessible to all Idaho students," says Melyssa Ferro, a Caldwell educator.
