Education choice is the biggest civil rights issue of our time, and Tuesday night’s election results in Idaho and many states across the nation show broad support.
At the federal level, President-elect Donald Trump promised on the campaign trail to expand choice options nationally – and with Republicans likely to control both houses of Congress, that looks more possible.
Polling done shortly before the election shows nearly 70% of voters approve allowing families access to tax dollars to use for education that best fits their child’s needs.
It didn’t take long for national political pundits to point to education choice as a large factor in last night’s results, especially among Latino voters.
“Latino voters, in many ways, are driven by the same issues, and there’s one issue in particular actually that Republicans align closer to Latino voters, or Latino voters align more closely to the conservative party, and that’s school choice,” NBC’s Chuck Todd said. “Both Florida and Texas have been very aggressive about expanding school choice. Where have Republicans made the greatest gains among Hispanic voters? Florida and Texas.”
Congressman Adrian Smith of Nebraska, who represents a mostly rural district, and Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, have proposed the Educational Choice for Children Act (ECCA) that would provide credits against federal individual and corporate income taxes for donations to scholarship granting organizations.
Scholarships would be awarded to as many as two million students nationwide, including more than 13,000 in Idaho, which can be used for private school tuition or educational services and materials akin to how a “529” plan works for higher education expenses. This latter option means that a child who remained in a district public school could still obtain a scholarship to address learning gaps.
Education choice comes in many shapes and sizes. It can include:
- Charter schools
- Tax credit scholarships
- Tax credits
- Education Savings Accounts
Idaho Republicans have kept – and even expanded – their super majority in the state legislature, with more advocates for choice set to take office in the next 60 days.
Polling by Boise State University shows support for education choice in Idaho. Mountain States Policy Center will release the results of our 2024 Idaho Poll in December, which will also feature questions about education choice and reform.
The table is set for policymakers at the state and federal level to expand education options for families.
Chris Cargill is the President of Mountain States Policy Center, an independent research organization based in Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and Eastern Washington. Online at mountainstatespolicy.org.
This article was originally published at www.thecentersquare.com
