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<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><img width="624" height="147" style="width:6.5in;height:1.5312in" id="_x0000_i1025" src="cid:image001.png@01D9631E.09D4CCD0" alt="Graphical user interface, text
Description automatically generated"></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">March 30, 2023
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<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><u><span style="font-size:22.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Idaho further advances education freedom<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Boise, Idaho – Idaho parents have even more school choice options on top of a long list of education alternatives in the State of Idaho after Governor Brad Little signed
</span><a href="https://legislature.idaho.gov/sessioninfo/2023/legislation/S1125/"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Senate Bill 1125</span></a><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"> into law this week.
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<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Senate Bill 1125 allows parents to send their child to any public school in Idaho regardless of where they live. The current law restricts parents’ ability to choose the
public school that is best for their child, and Senate Bill 1125 modernizes the law to give parents more choice in public education.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">“Idaho parents already benefit from an abundance of school choice options, and this new law expands their ability to choose the best public school for their child, regardless
of their zip code,”</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"> Governor Little said.
<b>“Idaho is all about school choice options that make sense for our state, and Senate Bill 1125 fits right into our responsible, transparent, accountable approach to expanding school choice.”<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">The bill received unanimous support in the Idaho Senate and near-unanimous support in the Idaho House of Representatives. Senators Kevin Cook and Dave Lent were two legislators
in support of the bill.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">“The passage of Senate Bill 1125 further demonstrates that parents know what is best for their children’s education experience,”
<b>Senator Kevin Cook</b> said. “I was proud to support responsible school choice legislation that keeps parents in the driver’s seat of their children’s education.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">“Senate Bill 1125 adds yet another choice for parents and students to find the right fit for their educational needs,”
<b>Senator Dave Lent</b> said. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Governor Little pointed to the abundant school choice options available to Idaho families, including:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
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<ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNoSpacing" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Idaho is third in the nation for education freedom – measures that include spending, school choice, transparency, and regulations<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNoSpacing" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">With
</span><a href="https://www.idahoednews.org/features/spelling-it-out/spelling-it-out-types-of-schools/"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">nine different school types</span></a><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">
available to Idaho families – including traditional public schools, public charter schools, public magnet schools, private schools, online academies, homeschooling, and others – there are hundreds of schooling options available to Idaho families<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNoSpacing" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">With the passage of Senate Bill 1125, Idaho now leads the country with the fewest restrictions on allowing parents to send their child
to any public school they wish<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNoSpacing" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Idaho is a top 10 state for the number of students enrolled in public charter schools<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNoSpacing" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Idaho led the country in standing up the
</span><a href="https://empoweringparents.idaho.gov/"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Empowering Parents grant program</span></a><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"> to provide access to approved
educational resources outside the classroom. Public, private, and homeschool families are all eligible to receive grants.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">“I appreciate my partners in the Legislature from both sides of the political aisle for their commitment to expanding responsible school choice options for Idaho families,”</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">
Governor Little said.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"># # #<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><i><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Please DO NOT REPLY to this message. For press inquiries only, contact the Governor’s press office at (208) 854-3015 or e-mail
</span></i><a href="mailto:Madison.Hardy@gov.idaho.gov"><i><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">Madison.Hardy@gov.idaho.gov</span></i></a><i><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">.
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