Sep. 25—MOSCOW — A former educator said a new Idaho tax credit program benefiting private schools is the biggest threat to public schools she has ever seen.
Teresa Fabricius, a former Genesee teacher and Fruitland School District superintendent, was invited to join a panel of people speaking out against Idaho’s House Bill 93 on Wednesday night in Moscow.
More than 100 people filled the 1912 Center venue where Save Our Schools Idaho held a town hall to discuss the legislation. Save Our Schools is a nonprofit that opposes HB 93, which creates a program that uses nearly $50 million in state funds to help families pay for expenses at nonpublic schools. Parents can begin applying for the program in January.
Fabricius was joined on the panel by Moscow Charter School board member Leslie Baker, Moscow Middle School teacher Cyndi Faircloth and moderator Alexis Morgan, president of Idaho PTA.
Fabricius said she is concerned that the state is spending $50 million, and possibly more in the future, on schools that do not have “guardrails” to ensure accountability. She said private schools may refuse students because of religion, ethnicity or disability, are not held to the same safety requirements as public schools and do not require background checks of its employees.
Faircloth said she is concerned the private school funding will increase to the point where other Idaho government departments and services have to be cut or reduced. She said many of the organizations that pushed for HB 93 are from outside of the state and see it as an opportunity to make money for private schools.
Baker said HB 93 may not only hurt traditional public school districts, but will also diminish charter schools because they, too, are considered public schools.
The Moscow School District is currently being represented in a lawsuit challenging the private school tax credit.
Moscow is the only school district joining the lawsuit, which includes nine petitioners. All parties are being represented by Idaho law firm Hawley Troxell, which is arguing that HB 93 defies the Idaho Constitution. It specifically focuses on the constitutional language that says the Idaho Legislature must “establish and maintain a general, uniform and thorough system of public, free common schools.”