There is a lawsuit filed recently where the plaintiffs are suing the West Ada School District(WASD) to try to force West Ada to offer full-day kindergarten.
Is the WASD, kindergarten is offered half-day for free and parents can opt for full day kindergarten for $300 per month. The plaintiffs believe this violates the state constitution for free education.
The Idaho State Constitution says:
ARTICLE IX – EDUCATION AND SCHOOL LANDS
SECTION 1. LEGISLATURE TO ESTABLISH SYSTEM OF FREE SCHOOLS. The stability of a republican form of government depending mainly upon the intelligence of the people, it shall be the duty of the legislature of Idaho, to establish and maintain a general, uniform and thorough system of public, free common schools.
https://sos.idaho.gov/elect/stcon/article_IX.html
The Idaho Constitution does not define "public, free common schools."
Idaho funds across the state kindergarten at half-day sessions. Two school districts have offered for a fee the ability for a parent to increase what the state has UNIFORMLY offered. Essentially, one could look at this extension of kindergarten as a substitute for day care.
Why should tax payers be forced to pay for this extension in these two school districts?