What Idaho's Tax Credit Report Really Shows About Who Gets Private School Money

Idaho's private education tax credit is mostly paying tuition for families who were already in private schools — and whose incomes are well above the state median. That is the headline finding from the first detailed data release on the Parental Choice Tax Credit program, according to Idaho Education News. The report matters for any family following school choice debates, in Idaho or elsewhere. It tests the central promise of the program — that it would help students who couldn't otherwise afford private education — against actual numbers. The numbers say the typical recipient household earns $178,000, and 74.7% of the students receiving credits have never attended a public school. For parents weighing private school costs, the takeaway is practical: in Idaho, this credit currently works as a tuition subsidy for families already committed to private schooling, not as an escape hatch from public schools.

This excerpt comes from the named source. Read the original for the full reporting.