Statehouse leadership introduces $50 million private school tax credit bill

High-ranking state legislators on Wednesday introduced a proposal for a $50 million Idaho Parental Choice Tax Credit.

House Bill 39 would provide a $5,000 tax credit per child to parents for private school expenses, including tuition, tutoring, assessments, textbooks, curriculum and transportation costs. Parents have a fundamental right to nurture and direct their children’s education, the bill states.

Jason Monks

Monks

While Rep. Clint Hostetler, R-Twin Falls, introduced a personal bill — for a $250 million private school tax credit — earlier this month that will not advance, the new bill introduced Wednesday has support from leadership and will appear before the house revenue and taxation committee.

House Majority Leader Jason Monks, R-Meridian, and Senate Majority Leader Lori Den Hartog, R-Meridian, are co-sponsors of HB 39 as well as Rep. Wendy Horman, R-Idaho Falls, and Sen. Scott Grow, R-Eagle.

The Times-News interviewed Monks earlier this month after the State of the State Address in Boise. He said a tax credit would be the fairest and most equitable solution for school choice legislation.

Twin Falls Rep. Hostetler introduces $250M private school tax credit legislation

The $250M price tag for private-school tax-credit legislation is much more than the $50M proposed Monday by Gov. Brad Little.

“It’s not just, ‘You get money, a pot of money, because your kid doesn’t go to a public school,’” Monks told the Times-News. “It is, ‘Do you have expenses and if you have expenses that we can reimburse those expenses back.’”

To help families afford private school tuition, the new bill allows parents whose taxable income is below 300% of the federal poverty level — which is $96,450 for a family of four — to request an advanced payment of the tax credit. Those families would also receive priority status from the state tax commission.

Sen. Lori Den Hartog

Den Hartog

The dollar amount for the new bill is in line with Gov. Brad Little’s proposal for a $50 million investment in school choice. In his State of the State Address he said any school choice proposal must be fair, responsible, transparent and accountable.

Similar to Hostetler’s bill, HB 39 would not permit any government agency to “exercise control or supervision” over any nonpublic school or to regulate the education of private school students. Also, private schools would not be required to alter their creed, practices, admissions policy or curriculum for parents to be eligible for the tax credit.

What does ‘fair, responsible, transparent, accountable’ mean in private school choice?

Gov. Brad Little promises $50M for private school choice if bill meets his standards: fair, responsible, transparent and accountable, but details remain unclear.

From a private school perspective, Mindy Petramalo, the head of school at Acton Academy in Twin Falls, said she absolutely supports private school tax credits and she doesn’t want any regulation for private schools.

“We can educate how we see works best for the student,” Petramalo said, “not what somebody behind an office desk tells us.”

The education system would be better off if it were regulated by parents, she said, and if parents are paying taxes to support public schools, they should be able to choose the school that receives those funds.

“Parents should be able to choose,” Petramalo said. “If they’re not happy with the type of education we provide, I mean, that’s America. Welcome to choice.”

Why Idaho lawmakers lack private school data as funding vote nears

JFAC Co-Chairman Rep. Wendy Horman, R-Idaho Falls, is seen Jan. 23, 2024, at the State Capitol building.

In Cassia County School District, Superintendent Sandra Miller said parents already have choices. Public schools struggle with funding in Idaho and a private school tax credit would make it worse.

“I am in favor of choice,” Miller said. “I just don’t want the public system to suffer financially based on legislation that may come forward.”

Even if the tax credit would not take money set aside for public schools, Miller said more families will want that $5,000 tax credit and will move their children from public schools to private schools.

Fewer students means less funding for public schools, but Miller said some costs are fixed, like heating building and paying employees.

“The cost, regardless, is going to be the same but if you pull more students out of there,” Miller said, “then those opportunities for our kids are going to go down.”

Public schools have to follow state and federal requirements, like testing, but not private schools,” she said.

Miller is hopeful that any legislation would have accountability for private schools.

“I just don’t want it to appear that public schools are failing while some of these private schools are not,” she said, “because private schools do not have the same requirements that we have.”