As Washington families struggle with the harmful effects of our state’s long public schools shutdown, Idaho has emerged as a leader in helping kids get back on track.

Starting in mid-September, Idaho families can request an “Empowering Parent” grant of $1,000 per child, up to $3,000 per family, to help their children recover from COVID-related learning losses.

The state-funded grants can be used to buy education-related items, including computers, books and other instructional materials, and tutoring services.  Governor Brad Little and the state legislature are providing $50 million to fund the program. Since funding is limited, low-income families will be given given priority.

The grants are not limited to those in the public system.  All children, including those in homeschool and private schools, are eligible.

Kurt Liebich, President of the Idaho State Board of Education, praises the program:

“We know that there are thousands of students throughout our state who experienced learning loss as a result of the pandemic disruption.”

He is right. The COVID school shutdowns caused students to suffer long-term learning loss, psychological and emotional harm, limiting their future opportunities in life. The lasting damage done to student learning by long shutdowns is described in WPC’s new study, available here. 

The inclusive nature of the direct-aid program is a key benefit.  Idaho has 143 private schools, serving 17,787 students.  Sixty-four percent of private schools are religiously affiliated, mostly Catholic and other Christian schools.

In the past, opponents of school choice sought to use the notorious Blaine Amendment to discriminate against students at religious schools.  In June, however, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Carson v. Makin that a state general education program may not deny public education funding to students of faith.

The high court ruling ends the dominance of the anti-Catholic Blaine Amendment that was added to the constitutions of Idaho and 37 other states, including Washington’s, in the 19th century.

Idaho’s inclusive approach of providing direct aid to families, regardless of religious affiliation, is a model of forward-looking legislation.  Empowering Parents grants are a great first step towards helping Idaho children recover what they lost during the pandemic, and show how other states can make the same progress in expanding access to educational services.

For more information on Carson v. Makin and similar cases, see Washington Policy Center’s study “U.S. Supreme court anti-discrimination ruling means the end of Washington’s Blaine Amendments.”