School may be out for the summer, but teachers and policymakers still have their work cut out to make up for the learning loss from pandemic-related school closures. With every passing year that students don’t make up that difference, it’s more evident that the school system needs reform to meet each student’s individual needs. As Idaho policymakers face the next school year, they should look to expand their school choice options, starting with education savings accounts (ESAs).
When many public schools closed down during COVID-19 and struggled to implement a quality online learning platform, ESAs served as a lifeline for families in multiple states nationwide. ESAs can be used for various educational needs, including private school tuition, tutoring, educational technology, special education services, transportation, and more. These programs are designed around flexibility and individuality, two characteristics that are all too often missing from our traditional public school system.
Unfortunately, Idahoan state policymakers have killed ESAs and other private school choice bills for the past few years despite estimates that Idahoan students lost around five months‘ worth of instruction in math and reading. Going into this school year, Idaho families are still without the options they need.
During the recent Idaho Republican primary, however, voters said enough is enough. School choice was on the ballot in many races. Candidates such as Kent Marmon made the case that our current education system isn’t good enough, arguing that high-quality learning environments do not have to be a scarce commodity if we implement universal school choice. His message rang true with voters, and he unseated Julie Yamamoto, an incumbent state representative who is against school choice.
Many other pro-school choice candidates made similar arguments and fared quite well. For instance, three Republicans who did not stand with the Republican party’s platform that supports education freedom — and had the most support from anti-school choice teachers unions — were also beaten.
Those looking for explanations for these losses shouldn’t overthink it. Voters were given a choice between supporting the education of students or propping up the status quo. Fortunately, they chose students. Indeed, it should surprise nobody that voters rewarded pro-school choice candidates in Idaho because — as polls have shown for a long time — ESAs have overwhelming support among voters and parents coming out of the pandemic. For instance, nationwide polls indicate around ¾ of Americans consistently support ESAs, according to EdChoice’s Schooling in America survey. In Idaho, the polling is not much different as around seventy percent of parents and voters surveyed support education freedom.
Indeed, all signs point toward ESAs becoming the new reality of K-12 education in Idaho. The benefits of such a program will be immense as every Idahoan student, regardless of background, neighborhood, or income, will have a better chance of finding an educational environment that suits them. Moreover, studies show that students who participate in the program will likely benefit from increased test scores, civic values, and educational attainment, none of which would have been possible without Idahoan voters.
Now it’s up to lawmakers to make this mandate a reality. With the passage of ESAs in Idaho, families will finally have access to a personalized learning environment for their students, and kids can finally have a real opportunity to fill the learning gaps left by school closures.
