A new resource from Public Funds Public Schools and the Idaho Council on Developmental Disabilities warns that many of the legal rights and protections applicable to students in public schools do not apply in private schools. The two-page fact sheet notes that establishing a private school voucher program in Idaho would make students vulnerable to discrimination funded with public dollars.

Many private schools across the country discriminate based on disability, religion, LGBTQ+ status, or other characteristics, and there are numerous examples of Idaho private schools with these policies. Students who use vouchers to attend private schools lose crucial rights under state and federal antidiscrimination laws and laws that guarantee them essential educational services, such as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

This new fact sheet follows a report published earlier this year by PFPS and the Idaho Center for Fiscal Policy about the dangers vouchers pose for Idaho students, schools, and communities, including the dramatic fiscal impact of voucher programs. These resources highlight the many reasons Idaho should use public funds to support and strengthen public schools that welcome and serve all students.

Public Funds Public Schools (PFPS) is a national campaign directed by Education Law Center to ensure that public funds for education are used to support and strengthen public schools. Find additional PFPS tools for advocates, including reports, policy briefs, fact sheets, and an extensive series of webinars, on the Advocacy webpage. Visit the Research webpage for studies showing the harms of private school voucher programs on students and public schools. Use the PFPS bill tracker to monitor voucher legislation.

The Idaho Council on Developmental Disabilities monitors service systems and policies to improve the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) and their families. The Council advocates, with and on behalf of Idahoans with I/DD, for better services that allow them to live meaningful lives in their home communities. The Council is comprised of 23 volunteers appointed by the Governor, most of whom are adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and family members.