Categories
Opinions

Idaho Trades Civics Trivia for Substance Testing Ahead of Most States

I have often written about how our education system in Idaho is doing and how it is affecting our children. Recently there has been a lot of conversations about the new interest in DSA and socialism on the news and in what direction our country may be moving. While civics is a course taught in […]

Categories
Opinions

New Civics Test

Following the nightmare of Common Core, legislative efforts were made to ensure Idaho students learned about the history of their country and how the government was formed. Beginning in the 2016-2017 school year, high school students were required to take, and pass, a civics test in order to graduate. Idaho Code § 33-1602 defined exactly […]

Categories
Podcast

PODCAST: Idaho Teacher Pay, Flock Cameras, and 2026 Primary Elections

Bob Neugebauer welcomes Ron Nate, president of the Idaho Freedom Foundation, to discuss teacher pay, surveillance technology, Republican Party integrity, and the upcoming 2026 primary elections. With Election Day one week away, the conversation turns to several issues that return to a central question: whether Idaho voters will hold candidates accountable to conservative principles or […]

Categories
Opinions

AG Labrador to Defend School Choice Tax Credit Before Idaho Supreme Court

BOISE, ID — On Friday, attorneys in the Office of Attorney General will argue in defense of Idaho’s School Choice Tax Credit before the Idaho Supreme Court. The hearing follows a legal challenge brought by the Idaho Education Association and others seeking to block Idaho families’ ability to use these tax credits to choose the best […]

Categories
Opinions

Idaho Education: One Family, Many Apps, No Accountability

A Parent’s Real-World Example: Imagine this: you live in Boise, enroll your kids, and get used to the Boise School District’s app. You upload medical records, contact information, emergency numbers — your family’s whole life into the system. Then life changes, you move to Nampa, and suddenly you are told to download a brand-new app. Start over. […]

Categories
Bob's Words

Education is the Key to Success

Everyone seems to have their own definition of fascism, but trying to define fascism is like trying to nail jelly to a wall: Just like everyone has their own definition of Communism and Socialism, we appear to be in a name-calling contest in America, but no one has a clue as to what most of […]

Categories
Opinions

Idaho Second Amendment Alliance Calls for End to Gun-Free School Zones in Idaho, Reject Calls for Gun Control

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEAugust 30, 2025 The Idaho Second Amendment Alliance (ISAA) is calling on the Idaho Legislature to eliminate gun-free school zones and restore the right of school staff to protect themselves and their students. In 2024, lawmakers had the opportunity to pass HB 415, a bill that would have curbed school boards’ authority to […]

Categories
Bob's Words

Why We need Freedom of Choice in our Children’s Education

Since it is the beginning of the school year, I wanted to touch on our education system here in Idaho. Eighty percent of Americans support school choice, and the path forward is clear that families deserve the power to choose the best education for their kids. For years, we have lived with the failure of […]

Categories
Opinions

Support the Teachers and Education, Part 2

This is Part 2 of the series, Support the Teachers and Education in Jefferson County. You can read Part 1 here. I teach a constitution class. We have been discussing the book The 5000 Year Leap. Cleon Skousen presents 28 principles of Freedom. Number 4 is Religion. Our churches play an important role in our […]

Categories
Opinions

Support the Teachers and Education, Part 1

School Summer break is here. I visited schools in Rigby. They are using this time to reorganize, to clean, and to repair the school grounds. That’s great! Get ready for the next school year. Following their lead, I want to share my thoughts on how we can help our teachers and education from kindergarten to […]

Categories
Bob's Words

What’s up with Education in Idaho? More Levies?

I always hear people complaining about taxes and how they keep going up, but when I told a group of our homeowners today that there was an election this Tuesday to raise their taxes, many of them did not know about it. So let me educate all of our readers about the 27 counties that […]

Categories
Opinions

What’s Next for Universal School Choice

This article courtesy of the Idaho Freedom Foundation Among the most important triumphs of the 2025 legislative session were the steps taken to advance educational freedom. After years of stubborn resistance from the education establishment, Idaho joined the ranks of conservative states with a meaningful school choice initiative thanks to the leadership of several key […]

Gem State Patriot News