As school starts this fall, excitement fills the air for parents and students alike who see education as a way to create a brighter future for our young people.

Yet for too many of Idaho’s students, going back to school is filled with more anxiety than excitement. For them school means feeling unprepared to read at the same level as other students, not being able to solve math problems and generally not feeling as comfortable in class as their schoolmates.

Many of the students who feel this way are caught in the so-called “achievement gap.”

Studies show that in nearly every key educational measurement, low-income students in Idaho and across the country lag behind their more economically advantaged peers. Closing this achievement gap is one of the most challenging issues facing education in America.

In Idaho this is a particular issue because about 50 percent of our students meet the federal definition of low-income. In some of our districts, the percentage of students that meet the criteria is in the 70 percent or higher range.

Even in the Boise School District, 49 percent of the students are low income. That is up from 22.3 percent in 1990 — or a 119 percent increase. A study two years ago by ECONorthwest showed that by 2019, Idaho would experience a net increase in households earning less than $25,000 per year and a net decline in households earning $50,000 or more.

In other words, the demographics do not bode well for closing the achievement gap unless we come up with effective ways to do so.

The achievement gap isn’t just a problem for low-income families. We all have a stake in solving this nagging issue. That’s because studies show that between 60 and 70 percent of all jobs by the year 2020 will require some level of post-secondary education.

If a large percentage of Idaho students are not prepared to go on and earn a post-secondary credential, it will be very difficult for us to create the skilled and educated workforce our economy needs to grow. Just as importantly, it will be very difficult for many young people to rise out of poverty, which will just perpetuate the cycle for another generation.

To its credit, the Boise School District is taking a leadership role in narrowing this gap through its “Community Schools” initiative. This effort focuses on the “whole student,” addressing not just their academic achievement, but the basic human needs that make learning possible. Things like food, clothing, and medical assistance.

The Idaho Legislature took another important step this year by appropriating $11 million to help 37,000 students who are struggling to read at grade level become proficient. This is important because if students can’t read, they can’t learn.

But, as a state, we need to do more to narrow the “achievement gap.” We need a comprehensive strategy for tackling this issue that includes all stakeholders — parents, educators, policymakers and community leaders.

A good place to start is by ensuring that all 4-year-olds enter kindergarten ready to learn how to read, meaning they can recognize basic letters, colors and sounds. Right now nearly 50 percent of our children do not start school on an equal footing with their peers. Many of them never catch up, unable to climb out of the achievement gap.

If Idaho can “close the gap,” it will not only help all children achieve their version of the American dream, but it will create a brighter future for Idahoans by reducing poverty, creating the workforce we need for the 21st century and improving our great state’s quality of life.

Rod Gramer is President of Idaho Business for Education.