The Truth About ESA Vouchers
ESA vouchers will cost
$ 0
This school year alone.
Vouchers DRAIN $1 Billion from AZ Public Schools
In 2024, vouchers cost $860M
— and $580M is going to students who were never In school. Visit bit.ly/VoucherDrain to see how much vouchers drain from your local school district
How Did We Get Here?
- In 2006, vouchers were first passed in AZ.
- In 2009, vouchers were ruled unconstitutional by the AZ Supreme Court, which deemed it illegal to give public dollars to private schools.
- In 2011, the legislature passed an ESA voucher, a workaround that gave the money directly to parents instead of the schools.
- In 2017, the Arizona legislature attempted to expand vouchers to 70% of Arizona students. Seeing the imminent danger, six moms formed Save Our Schools Arizona and a statewide grassroots movement swelled to refer this measure to the ballot.
- In 2018, after SOSAZ successfully placed the voucher expansion on the ballot as Prop 305, Arizona voters resoundingly rejected the idea, with 65% voting no on the referendum.
- In 2022, the Arizona legislature disregarded the will of the voters and passed a fully universal voucher program, with 100% of Arizona students eligible, regardless of income or prior public school attendance.
Get the Facts
- ESA vouchers will cost the state $1 billion in 2026-27 (Arizona Department of Education)
- Every new universal ESA voucher subtracts funding from our local public schools, which are already funded 49th in the US (Making the Grade 2024)
Supt Horne and the ADE automatically reimburse all purchases under $2000. Reporting from 12News has found voucher users purchasing diamond rings, Kenmore appliances, and even lingerie. (12 News)
- 82% of universal vouchers go to students already enrolled in private school or homeschool (bit.ly/AZVoucherReport)
ESA voucher users are from districts with the highest median incomes, highest test-scores, and most socioeconomically advantaged backgrounds. (bit.ly/AZVoucherReport)
- ESA vouchers were originally developed in AZ in 2011 to benefit students with disabilities and special needs — but the universal program has become a subsidy for wealthier families who could already afford private school (Brookings Institution) SOSAZ supports the 2011 program for students with disabilities — but opposes universal vouchers.
- Vouchers do not save Arizona money: because vouchers are 90% of charter school funding, the minimum universal ESA voucher is $500 higher than the state per-pupil funding to district schools. In districts that are entirely funded by local property taxes, the entire voucher is a new cost to the state.
In the News
ADE recently spent $600K to advertise ESA program
'Bankrupt our state': Expected school voucher surge to cost Arizona taxpayers a lot more money
Valley couple says daughter's school is discriminating against them because they are gay
Robbing From the Poor
to Educate the Rich
Arizona school voucher program growth explodes to $900 million for the upcoming school year
Trampolines and cowboy classes: Arizona parents take advantage of state’s homeschooling funds
