Good governance depends on accountability. Idaho just got a hard reminder of why.
The nonpartisan Office of Performance Evaluations released a 129-page evaluation of the Idaho Home Learning Academy, a fast-growing virtual public charter school authorized through the Oneida School District.
The report shows what happens when education dollars move through weak guardrails. Families used taxpayer-funded accounts for items like streaming subscriptions, video games, water park tickets, virtual reality headsets, and hoverboards. Even worse, when families did not use all their allotted funds, private companies administering the accounts could keep the leftover money rather than return it to the state or district.
The spending model raises serious questions. Idaho Home Learning Academy used fewer staff than the state funding formula assumed, and $22.5 million meant for teacher compensation was shifted to private vendors. In 2024–25, the school sent $20.6 million to its education service providers. When nearly half of a public school budget goes to private companies, it is not built around learning. It is built around profit.
Student performance is also a problem. On the statewide achievement test, Idaho Home Learning Academy ranks in the bottom half of Idaho schools, with low proficiency and weaker growth than traditional districts.
This is not about just one school. It shows how quickly money drifts into gray areas, even in a public charter system that is supposed to answer to the public.
Now apply that to Idaho’s voucher scheme. Republicans enacted a $50 million tax credit program that routes public dollars to private education. It is looser by design, with fewer tools to track spending and force fixes. If this is what we found in a public charter, vouchers invite bigger misuse and profits for middlemen, and less accountability for everyone else.
What was most disappointing was hearing some Republican legislators minimize the findings. Democratic Senator James Ruchti got it right. If this were a traditional district, lawmakers would be outraged, and every model using public money should face the same standard. When millions are involved, shrugging is not an option. Fixing the holes is the job.
This review also reminds us that balance works when Idaho allows it. The Office of Performance Evaluations exists to review state programs and publicly report its findings. An equally bipartisan legislative oversight committee chooses topics.
We have seen what that kind of oversight can accomplish. When another independent review exposed inconsistent death investigation practices across counties, lawmakers advanced reforms to improve standards in the coroner system.
Idaho Democrats know how precious education funding is, especially after the Republican supermajority has recklessly slashed revenue. This is no time to send more money into voucher schemes with zero accountability. Idaho can choose oversight that serves students and the public.
Onward,
Lauren Necochea
Idaho Democratic Party Chair