Freedom is the best policy.
Dave Dentel, Homeschool Legal Defense Association
The Liberated Learner — Column by Suzanne Kearney
My group of homeschool moms is a tight-knit community. When it comes to the basics, we are like-minded and agree on the ideals of educational freedom.
But talk about government money, and we polarize like magnets in a failed kitchen science experiment.
Who wouldn’t want public funding for “school choice”? Academically gifted children could afford to attend private schools catered to their interests; public teachers would need to up their performance to compete; and homeschoolers could avoid being double-taxed. What’s not to like?
The Trump administration has promised federal-level educational tax cuts via 529 accounts, while the Idaho state legislature has already presented so-called “school choice” bills featuring Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) and refundable tax credits, such as the current House Bill 93. While slightly different in practice, the concept is the same—government funding of non-government education. Contradiction?
On the surface, such notions seem helpful, or at least harmless. Just check a box on your tax return and—voila!—a big, fat refund. Speaking of a “school choice” bill from a prior legislative session, Homeschool Idaho writes, “…the amount of the refundable tax credit proposed in (Idaho’s) HB 743 was $5,000 per child. If your total Idaho tax liability was $1,325 (average for Idaho families), and you claimed a refundable credit worth $15,000 (for your three homeschooled children), you would receive a tax “refund” of $13,675.” FREE MONEY!!!
But wait a minute. Government money always comes with strings. Let’s consider a few of the potential risks, as outlined by Homeschool Idaho:
Unconstitutional: Some state legislators have argued that the bill violates the Idaho Constitution. A flurry of lawsuits could follow.
Accountability: Funds disbursed by the government must be verified as appropriately spent. Meticulous recordkeeping and the threat of audit would become the ball and chain of every homeschooler who opts in.
Cost: The cost of implementing and running such a program, as well as a new burden for taxpayers to support previously self-funded students, could create a budget disaster.
Bureaucratic bloat: More entitlements = bigger bloat.
Privacy: Filing for a credit on your tax return would add you to a de facto state- or nation-wide registry of homeschool families.
States’ rights: In the case of federal “school choice” funding, federal tax breaks and vouchers blur the distinction between state and national sovereignty and invite the D.C. government into the local education system.
Slippery slope: Over time, homeschoolers who take federal funds would likely be subject to increasing government regulation, including possibilities such as testing, teacher credentials, mandatory recordkeeping, reporting, audits, etc.)
Fraud: Like any other government entitlement program, the potential for fraud would add another risk to taxpayers (such as is already happening in Arizona, where a school choice bill was recently passed).
Supply and demand: With more money available to parents, private schools would likely raise prices, with the net effect that lower-income students would have little or no increase in accessibility (as has happened in Oklahoma, where an educational tax credit law was recently passed).
Dependency: Once families get “hooked” on public funding, it would be difficult to break free.
While the intent of “school choice” legislation is noble, the cure may be worse than the disease. Yes, there is waste in the public education system. Yes, we need to find a way to motivate higher performance in the public schools. Yes, we need to incentivize alternative educational models. Yes, kids should have options. But is government money the answer? I am skeptical.
The Old Testament story of Exodus illustrates the timeless principle that where God leads, God provides. The Israelites wandered in the wilderness for 40 years, and in all that time were not lacking for food, clothing, or shelter. This is an object lesson for those who fear that their kids’ best educational options are financially out of reach. Is God leading you to pull your children out of the public system? Trust Him. He will provide for your needs. While it is not necessarily “wrong” to receive government money, I don’t believe it is optimal or even necessary. If you want to be free of the strings that come with Uncle Sam’s cash, take a leap of faith and let God be your safety net. He is faithful, and He wants what is best for your children even more than you do.
