Idaho's LAUNCH grant, a $75 million state-funded program, can provide graduating high school students up to $8,000 to cover up to 80% of tuition and fees at an in-state college, university or career-technical program. Applications opened Oct. 1, with a priority deadline of Nov. 30 and a final deadline of April 15, 2027. No FAFSA is required to apply. Students choose from about 155 eligible careers listed on the Next Steps Idaho website. A January 2026 report credits LAUNCH with a 5% rise in Idaho's 2024 college go-on rate and an 11% increase in the share of students staying in state for college.
A homeschool group is hosting a free craft fair this Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Calvary Chapel, 1633 Olympus Drive, in Pocatello. Organized by student Joseph Jacquier and the Quest Homeschool Community, the event features booths run by students, including 3D printing, books, bread and jam, and bracelets. The group hopes to hold the fair every three years, and the Pocatello Animal Shelter will have a booth where participants can make donations. The fair gives students across the community a chance to learn business principles and earn money from their crafts.
All three candidates for Idaho's state superintendent say the state should be more transparent about who benefits from the Parental Choice Tax Credit, a program that launched Jan. 15 and offers families up to $5,000, or $7,500 for students with disabilities, toward private tuition and other nonpublic education costs, including homeschooling. In a televised debate, incumbent Debbie Critchfield, Becky Sundin Mitchell and Teresa Roundy agreed that the state should release data on how many recipients were previously in private school, and that private schools receiving taxpayer funds should face similar academic reporting. The State Tax Commission has not yet released data on whether the credit helps students who couldn't otherwise afford private education. Election Day is Nov. 3, and voting information is available.
The Idaho Public Charter School Commission unanimously approved applications for two new schools on Thursday, with conditions. Doral Academy of Idaho plans a second Meridian campus, Doral Academy Preparatory, serving grades 6-12, with ninth-graders welcomed next fall. Elevate Academy is preparing a career-technical school for grades 6-12 in Pocatello. Before opening, both must show balanced operating budgets, lease or purchase agreements for their buildings, and copies of their grants, loans and contracts. If those conditions aren't met, openings could be delayed or approval revoked. Commissioner Wally Hedrick questioned whether Doral's projected full-capacity enrollment of 840 students depends too heavily on new housing in south Meridian, given declining public school enrollment.
The AFC Victory Fund, a federal super PAC affiliated with the American Federation for Children, announced Thursday that it has endorsed Gov. Brad Little for reelection. The group cited his support for what it calls significant school choice expansion, including the $50 million Parental Choice Tax Credit, which lets parents of children in nonpublic schools apply for $5,000 per child, or $7,500 for children with disabilities, toward private school tuition or homeschool expenses. It also pointed to the Idaho Launch grant program and Idaho's opt-in to a federal school choice tax credit. The Idaho Education Association, the statewide teachers' union, issued a vote of no-confidence in Little in April.
Idaho's college savings program, known as IDeal, celebrated its 25th birthday with a new name, the Idaho Education Savings Program, and a new website. The name reflects that account money can be spent tax-free on more than college, including private school tuition and homeschooling materials. The short name IDeal remains. The program reached
.1 billion in assets for Idaho families and had record growth in 2026, with a 34% increase in new accounts. Since 2001, families have paid $765 million from IDeal accounts for education expenses. Sixteen Idaho companies, including Hayden Beverage Company in Boise, will contribute to employees' 529 accounts. At the Capitol celebration, Gov. Brad Little also spoke about Trump Accounts, which are individual retirement accounts for children.
The Idaho State Tax Commission has declined to release most of the data requested about the Parental Choice Tax Credit, created by House Bill 93. Of seven public records requests filed between February and July, several were denied, with officials citing privacy laws and information that isn't yet collected or compiled. So far, the commission has released only the total dollars awarded and the percentage of recipients above or below 300% of the federal poverty level. A report containing geographic information is due to Gov. Brad Little and the Legislature in 2027. As of Aug. 17, the commission had received 7,055 applications covering 12,561 students.
Idaho's K-12 enrollment has fallen by 5,104 students since its peak of 315,254 in fall 2022, even as the state's population has grown, with the steepest drops in the early grades. Officials point to lower birth rates and few school-aged newcomers. Because state funding depends largely on average daily attendance, declining enrollment can cut funding while costs remain, and many school leaders want an enrollment-based model instead. Meanwhile, charter school enrollment rose 36.1% from 2021 to 2025, and some districts have grown through online programs. The state is again working to rewrite its more than 30-year-old funding formula.
Fourteen new schools are set to open this fall across Idaho, according to the Idaho Department of Education. They include three new district elementary schools, one K-8 school, seven charter schools and four virtual schools. Families interested in Fruitland Virtual Academy can fill out an interest form, though its website has not launched yet. Students already attending a district high school should talk with their school counselor about moving to Fremont Online, and students not enrolled in the district can call 208-624-5001. Some other schools on the state's list are new because of Mountain View School District's deconsolidation and a rebrand in Emmett.
The Idaho State Tax Commission has closed applications for the Parental Choice Tax Credit program after it reached the nearly $50 million limit set for this year. The law closes the program by August 15 or when the cap is reached, whichever comes first. The Commission is still processing applications received so far and will keep updating program statistics, which families can find at myschoolchoice.idaho.gov and on the Reports and Statistics page of the Tax Commission's website. In January, the Commission will report statistics to the Legislature and Governor.
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