Idaho taxpayers are still waiting for basic information about the state’s Parental Choice Tax Credit, a $50 million‑a‑year program that provides private‑school subsidies. Between February and July, the Idaho State Tax Commission received seven public‑records requests from a college faculty member, a hobbyist data analyst, a homeschool advocate, a former public‑school superintendent and two journalists.
Requests focus on public‑school origins and geographic distribution
Four of the requests, including two from Idaho Education News, asked for the number of tax‑credit recipients who had previously attended a public school. That figure would test a key claim of House Bill 93, the legislation that created the credit: that it helps students who could not otherwise afford a private education.
Other requests sought aggregate data on applicants’ ZIP codes to see whether the credit is concentrated in urban areas, and income‑bracket breakdowns to determine if wealthier families are the primary beneficiaries.
Commission cites privacy and technical hurdles
Julie Eavenson, public information director for the Tax Commission, responded that the requested information is either not being collected, not yet aggregated, or prohibited by state and federal confidentiality laws. She added that the agency’s computer systems are not programmed to generate the reports and that resources are limited.
“It’s not like an Excel spreadsheet where you can just go and gather the data and hit print,” Eavenson told Idaho Education News. “We don’t have a lot of resources to devote to this.”
Only limited data released so far
To date, the commission has published two data points: the total dollar amount awarded and the percentage of recipients whose income falls above or below 300 % of the federal poverty level. During the first application round, 55 % of applicants were above the poverty threshold and 45 % were below.
One request was fulfilled when ProPublica reporter Audrey Dutton asked for all statistics and reports as of March 19. The commission provided the number of applications and total dollar amounts, which were later posted online.
Stakeholders question the program’s impact
Stuart Anderson, an education faculty member at Brigham Young University‑Idaho, sought the public‑school origin data for a campus debate on school choice but was denied. Former Boise School District superintendent Don Coberly, a critic of private‑school vouchers, also requested the same figures to assess whether students are truly “escaping failing schools.” Both requests were rejected.
Homeschool Idaho board member Melissa Nash asked for income‑bracket data, expecting it would show wealthier families benefitting, but the commission again declined, citing confidentiality requirements.
Legislative expectations versus reality
House Bill 93 directs the commission to compile a report with eight specific data points, including geographic information. However, the bill does not define the level of detail required, and the commission has indicated that a full geographic report will not be delivered to the governor and legislature until 2027.
As of the latest count, the commission has received 7,055 applications covering 12,561 students, and it has awarded more than $42 million in the first round of the program.
Taxpayers and policy observers continue to press for transparency, arguing that without clear data it is difficult to evaluate whether the Parental Choice Tax Credit is achieving its intended purpose of expanding educational options for families who cannot afford private schooling.
Original reporting: Idaho Education News — read the source article.
