Save Our Schools Arizona
Weekly Education Report
56th Legislature, 2nd General Session
Volume 6, Issue 42• Week of December 9, 2024
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Voucher Fraud for “Ghost” Kids — AGAIN?!
Ghost vouchers strike again: Arizona’s unaccountable ESA voucher program is once again the subject of a major fraud scandal. This time, it involves 43 fictitious “ghost” children who received $110,000 to attend fake schools with taxpayer dollars — and from out-of-state fraudsters, no less!
A grand jury has indicted a Utah couple with 60 charges ranging from fraud, forgery, and conspiracy for allegedly using fake birth certificates, fake utility bills, and fake leases to create voucher accounts for 50 children (43 fake and 7 real) over the past 2 years. All of the fraud occurred after the legislature expanded vouchers to all students in 2022.
Grifters gonna grift: As a reminder, Attorney General Kris Mayes’ office is already prosecuting two separate cases related to ESA voucher fraud. One indictment from February alleged five people created fake birth certificates and disability diagnoses to enroll “ghost” children and others to defraud the program of more than $600,000. The other indictment involves 3 women who set up fake education vendors to defraud $88,000 from the voucher program.
Why is there so much room for fraud? When the Republican-led legislature passed universal vouchers, they refused to add any guardrails to defend against fraud or abuse of the program. In most other states, voucher programs include requirements that schools and vendors be accredited, that students are tracked by the state, and that expenditures are reviewed carefully. Arizona’s law, instead, is so wide you could drive a truck (or 43 ghost students) through it. By design.
Our take: Read our statement here. “Arizona’s ESA voucher program is wide open for fraud and abuse— and the Republican majority in the Arizona Legislature has refused to add any oversight or accountability. Misuse and outright fraud will continue to abound until lawmakers add serious guardrails to this off-the-rails entitlement program.”
K-12 Spotlight
We write to you with sad news, as school board members in the Roosevelt School District made the difficult decision this week to shutter 5 schools — nearly one-third of their campuses — this week. Roosevelt is a historic school district in South Phoenix, and its schools are deeply rooted in the community. Any time a district closes schools, it is devastating to families, students, educators, and the community.
Vouchers are the straw that is breaking the camel’s back for public schools, which have been chronically underfunded by our Republican-led state legislature for decades. Roosevelt is not the first and won’t be the last school district to close neighborhood schools due to Arizona’s massively expanded universal voucher program. There are over 860 students in Roosevelt boundaries now using an ESA voucher, which totals a drain of $8,459,000 per year on the district. 90% of these students never attended a public school and so are now siphoning state funding that was originally intended for public, not private, school students. This highlights the financial impacts of vouchers on our districts and the real-world impacts this irresponsible universal voucher program has on our communities.
It’s important to highlight these schools not as buildings, but as communities. Each of these schools is rated “B” in the state letter grade system — in other words, they are higher-achieving than most in the area, including most charters. Over 96% of students across the schools that are being shut down are children of color, and over 4 in 5 are living in poverty. All 5 campuses offer pre-K, which provides families and communities an anchor of support and critical early learning.
These are the schools to be closed:
V.H. Lassen Academy of Science and Nutrition’s mission is “where young minds grow outside the classroom.” They have 9 gardens on campus that kids in every grade cultivate, and their families can access food in pantries and a student-run cafe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkaiZoU59To
Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary’s mission is “developing kind humans and leaders.” You can see their beautiful school showcased in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gs8Y5FNVGIA
Maxine O. Bush Elementary was named after a black educator from Roosevelt who changed lives. You can see this incredible campus highlighted here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Nurgb0zFjs
C.J. Jorgensen Academy of Service Learning’s mission is ““Empowering the whole child to become a leader, scholar and global citizen.” See this wonderful school here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bubwrWT__HU
John R. Davis Elementary is a “safe, nurturing environment that empowers students and strengthens their ties to the community.” Learn all about this safe, nurturing school here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3HLgNeUg0Q
We are sending our love and support to all who are impacted by the closures. We call upon our lawmakers to prioritize and fund our schools to prevent further closures across the state.
SOSAZ in the News
Read our op-ed calling upon the Arizona legislature to do right by our students this year!
🔥”The incoming legislature has received a strong mandate from Arizona voters: fund our local public schools, stop the partisan attacks on education and put students first.
This means that, starting opening day of the Arizona State Legislature on Jan. 13, lawmakers should prioritize and protect public education. By renewing voter-approved Prop 123, lawmakers can preserve $300 million in yearly funding. By restoring the opportunity weight after it was slashed last year to pay for out-of-control vouchers, students in the lowest-income areas across the state will benefit from over $60 million in critically needed academic supports. This can all be accomplished if the members of the legislature work together in a bipartisan way to support students.
It’s time for the Arizona legislature to get serious about funding our public schools, the centers of our communities. It’s time to stop playing political games with education — or every single one of us will pay the price now and long into the future. The voters have spoken: it’s time to support, protect and fund our schools.”
Join Us!
We’re launching a book club! Join Save Our Schools Arizona Network’s new Book Club! We’ll be reading and discussing books on issues critically important to our public schools and democracy. Our first book is Mothers of Massive Resistance: White Women & the Politics of White Supremacy (order yours from Changing Hands Books or a local bookstore near you today!). Our virtual discussions will be led by experts, and there will be plenty of ways to have fun, meet new people, and engage. You’ll benefit from the discussions even if you haven’t been able to read the whole book!
Our first meetings are Sunday Dec. 15th and Jan. 5th at 2pm. Join us! Sign up today and we will send instructions! Register here: https://bit.ly/sosazbookclub
Volunteer Celebration Picnic! Join #TeamSOSAZ for a Volunteer Celebration Picnic on Sunday, January 26th in Phoenix! Be in community with other public education supporters for food and fun together. Please feel free to bring friends, family, and kids — all are welcome!
Register HERE to get the latest updates on details and help us get a headcount for food! We will announce the picnic location soon, but mark your calendars!
It’s happening!! 🎉Join us for our 2nd annual Celebration of Arizona’s Public Schools on March 29, 2025 at the Madison Performing Arts Center! Our special guest will be Jess Piper, an incredible public education advocate from Missouri and TikTok superstar. We will have delicious food and drinks, student performances, awards for incredible educators, and so much more! Tickets are on sale now for $120. Get yours before they sell out — and if you’re an educator or student, we welcome you to use the code EDUC8 to receive 50% off. See you there!!!
Get Plugged In!
Don’t forget to join us on social media. Pick your favorite(s) and join us for fun, engaging content!! This is where we post important updates, key news articles, and informative graphics and videos you can’t get anywhere else.
Here are some other easy actions you can take:
- Sign up for a Community Action Team (CAT): East Valley, West Valley & North Phoenix, Northeast Valley, Central & South Phoenix, Northern Arizona, Pima County and Rural Southern Arizona! Your local coordinators will help you with using Request to Speak and contacting your lawmakers.
- Request an SOSAZ Education Arizona Roadshow presentation HERE
- Sign up to automatically receive the SOSAZ Legislative Weekly Report HERE
Public School Proud!
Check out some incredible pictures and stories from across the state that make us #PublicSchoolProud!
Know a story you think we should spotlight? Send an email to tyler@sosarizona.org to let us know!
Flagstaff’s Puente de Hózhó Elementary School held their annual Cultural Celebration, where students performed various Navajo and Latin dances!
Buckeye Elementary School is training the next generation of architects! This 4-year-old engineer is designing her own blueprints and small-scale models — it’s only a matter of time before she works on bridges and skyscrapers!
In Higley, the Bridges Elementary School Student Council and PTO lead the charge on their annual Stock the Pantry food drive, where they donated over 2,300 non-perishable food items to the House of Refuge. Way to go!!
Vote 4 Public Ed Shop
NEW SWAG HAS ARRIVED!!
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