From Bryan Fischer, Idaho Values Alliance

A poll commissioned by the prestigious Friedman Foundation and co-sponsored by the Idaho Values Alliance and Education Excellence Idaho found that only 12% of Idahoans would chose a “regular public school” if they had a full range of options.

Even more striking, this figure drops to just 4% among Idahoans age 36-55, who are the chief consumers of public education services in Idaho.

This is an astonishing number, because it tells us that the more Idaho’s parents use conventional public education, the less they like it. This is the most powerful argument possible for increasing school choice in the Gem State.

The survey revealed that 25% of Idahoans would, however, choose charter schools, which are public schools free from much of the bureaucratic red tape that hampers education reform in conventional public schools.

The favorability rating of charter schools number jumps to over 70% among the 36-55 demographic.

This tells us that we need to make it easier for charter schools to open in Idaho, and lift the cap on charter school expansion, which currently limits the number of charter school startups to no more than six per year.

The survey also reveals that 39% of Idahoans would choose private school options if that alternative was accessible to them. This is a compelling reason for the legislature to consider education tax credits, which would allow Idaho’s parents a dollar-for-dollar tax credit for the money they spend on private school tuition.

Education tax credits would make private school options more accessible to Idaho parents, and would cause genuine school choice to flourish.

Friedman/IVA Poll Results

If you enjoyed this article, consider subscribing to the full-feed RSS.