Contacts:
Briana LeClaire
(208) 724-6311

Contact: Ken Burgess
(208) 385-7070

REPORT: IDAHO RISKS LOSS OF FEDERAL EDUCATION FUNDING
Idaho Ranked Below Average for Public School Choice and Innovation; May Forfeit "Race to the Top" Dollars to Other States

Boise, ID - Idaho's public charter school law - restricting the development of new charter schools - places it at risk of elimination from the pool of states competing for $5 billion in federal Department of Education "Race to the Top" funds, according to a report issued by the Center for Education Reform last week.

Out of forty states plus the District of Columbia, Idaho ranked 21st.  That gives the state a "C" charter school policy grade - placing it well behind California, Utah and Arizona in the competition for federal monies that will be divided between states with strong public school choice law.

"There is no good reason Idaho can't do better," said Briana LeClaire, President of the Coalition of Idaho Charter School Families. "Eliminating the six-new-charter-schools-per-year cap would put us back into the competition and relieve 7,000 Idaho children languishing on public charter school waiting lists. These families would like nothing more than to join the 10,000 Idaho students enjoying the educational choice, innovation and accountability of public charter schools."

The Coalition of Idaho Charter School Families promotes and advocates for public policy that furthers the advancement of charter schools and the innovations in education they represent. The Coalition works to ensure that every Idaho student has equal access to the option of enrolling in a public charter school whether it offers instruction in a traditional classroom or a virtual setting.

###