West
West Coast exodus driving surge in homeschooling in deep red state called 'freest' in nation
Idaho is experiencing huge growth due to West Coast transplants fleeing their liberal bastions, and along with it, more parents choosing to homeschool.
“A lot of people from California, Oregon, even from Washington, [where] the political climate is driven by more liberal enclaves, conservatives have begun to feel like their voices aren’t being heard in those states and in those communities and have opted to move out into a more conservative state,” Audra Talley, a board member for the nonprofit advocacy organization Homeschool Idaho, told Fox News Digital.
The Gem State is consistently listed as one of the fastest-growing states in the country, largely thanks to migration. The Post-Register newspaper reported Idaho was the nation’s fourth-fastest growing state, percentage-wise, in population growth between 2022 and 2023, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.
Homeschooling also appears to have surged in the Gem State. Idaho doesn’t have reporting requirements for homeschoolers, but public school data indicates there’s been an uptick in parents choosing to homeschool.
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Idaho is experiencing a homeschooling surge as conservatives flood into the Gem State. (Courtesy: Bryndle Photography)
According to research from the Homeschool Hub at Johns Hopkins University, more students left public school to homeschool in the 2022-23 school year (nearly 4,000) than they did before the coronavirus pandemic (less than 3,000). The research, using data from the Idaho Department of Education, also found more homeschooling students are accessing public school services than before the pandemic.
While the pandemic pushed more parents to homeschool, Talley believes it continues to be a popular option in her state because parents are drawn to the freedoms the red state offers parents with minimal government involvement.
“Idaho is the freest, out of three or four states in the country that offer homeschooling as an option with very minimal regulation and [little] direct oversight,” Talley said.
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Homeschooling families enjoy less regulation and government oversight, Homeschool Idaho says.
“Idaho law does not require any notification in order to begin or continue homeschooling. No test scores or work samples need to be filed,” according to Homeschool Idaho. “You are not required to provide any information about what curriculum you intend to use, your education level or teaching experience, or anything else about your home or homeschool.”
The freedoms Idahoans enjoy are also why Talley’s group is wary of the school choice movement or any other movement that would give the government greater control over homeschoolers. She said it took decades of legal battles for Idaho families to earn the educational freedoms they now enjoy.
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U.S. Census Bureau 2022 American Community Survey (Ramiro Vargas/Fox News Digital)
“We’ve spent 30, 40 years of fighting for the autonomy of homeschool parents to educate their children as they see fit, with little intrusion on the part of the state. Right now, we’ve shifted from the mentality of the state needing to control, by threat of force, that education, to now the state going, ‘Well, here’s some money to do what you already do.’ And our concern with that is, as soon as you offer money to do something that you’re already doing as a homeschooler — money always comes with strings attached,” she continued.
The red state’s pro-parent approach has made it a particularly appealing place to move for conservative families, advocates say.
A 2023 analysis of voters who moved in from other states depicts a red wave crashing down on Idaho. Californians led the pack, with 75% registering as Republicans and a mere 10% registering as Democrats. More than 60% of Washington and Oregon transplants who registered to vote in Idaho did so as Republicans.
“Idaho is a very conservative state politically and socially. And we’ve had a large movement of people moving out of higher tax states, less conservative states coming into Idaho,” Talley said. “So we’ve had, with that, more people interested and exercising their ability and their right to homeschool, and Idaho is a great place to do that.”
Fox News’ Hannah Ray Lambert contributed to this report.
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West
FBI raid involving LA schools superintendent possibly tied to failed $6M AI deal, potential conflict
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The federal investigation into the Los Angeles Unified School District superintendent, whose home and school office were raided Wednesday, may be tied to a failed multimillion-dollar AI school contract involving a potential conflict of interest.
Alberto Carvalho previously awarded a $6 million contract, paying $3 million up front, to education technology company AllHere.
A former salesperson employed by the firm also had her Miami property raided the same day as Carvalho, according to public records cited by the Los Angeles Times. The woman, Debra Kerr, reportedly had close ties to Carvalho during his tenure leading Miami-Dade County Public Schools.
Spokesperson Jim Marshall confirmed to local media Miami Herald that “we searched a residence in Southwest Ranches today as part of this matter and have since cleared the scene.”
Superintendent Alberto Carvalho speaks during an event at the LAUSD headquarters in downtown Los Angeles on October 30, 2025. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
In 2023, Carvalho secured a contract with AllHere to develop an AI chatbot called “Ed,” designed to help address student issues such as absenteeism.
It ultimately collapsed in 2024 after its founder, Joanna Smith-Griffi, was accused of embezzling funds amid data privacy risks and whistleblower concerns. She was later charged with securities fraud, wire fraud and identity theft.
Kerr further claimed in AllHere’s bankruptcy court filings that the company owed her commissions for helping secure its deal with LAUSD, according to education-focused outlet The 74.
While federal officials confirmed that search warrants were conducted Wednesday, they declined to reveal the nature of the investigation, noting that the warrants remain under seal.
Federal officials appear to carry cardboard outside a home in California. (KTTV)
However, sources told the LA Times that the investigation fell under the broad category of financial issues, and that the raid focused on Carvalho rather than the California school district.
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LAUSD released a statement saying the district is fully cooperating with federal officials.
“The LAUSD Board of Education understands that today’s news has raised questions across our school communities,” it said.
“The Board’s priority remains ensuring that our students, families, and employees experience a safe and welcoming learning environment. Teaching and learning continue across our schools. Los Angeles Unified continues to stay focused on our responsibility to serve students and our families.”
The superintendent has led the nation’s second-largest school district since 2022, overseeing the education of roughly 400,000 students. He was also unanimously reappointed to the position in September 2025.
Before moving to California, he spent 14 years leading Miami‑Dade County Public Schools, the nation’s fourth-largest school district.
The home of Alberto Carvalho, the superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District, is located in San Pedro, California. (KTTV)
Wednesday’s raids mark the latest controversy to engulf Carvalho.
In 2020, he helped secure a $1.57 million donation from a company that had a pending contract with the district, the Miami Herald reported.
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FBI agents appear to conduct a search warrant at a San Pedro home connected to Alberto Carvalho. (KTTV)
The funds reportedly went to an education nonprofit he founded, and the company’s online learning program, which was ultimately plagued with problems, was quickly scrapped.
In June 2021, the school’s inspector general determined that the donation, intended to benefit teachers, did not violate any policies but created the “appearance of impropriety,” the outlet said. The foundation was subsequently urged to return the funds, which reportedly had been distributed to teachers as $100 gift certificates.
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