FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 31, 2023

Contact: Tyler Kowch, 602-321-7290

tyler@sosarizona.org

ESA Voucher Costs Skyrocket To $900M By July 2024

ESA vouchers are now projected to siphon an astronomical $900,000,000 from the state budget this coming year — nearly double what was budgeted and with zero added transparency. Arizona will be forced to divert nearly $1 billion in taxpayer dollars to unaccountable private schools that have zero requirements for trained educators, quality curriculum, grade level standards, or safety measures. It is clear that politicians bought and sold by special interests have designed this voucher program to starve and destroy public education; we are now witnessing the endgame. 

Two weeks ago, the Arizona Legislature allocated approximately $500 million for the newly expanded ESA voucher program. The massive price tag for this new unbudgeted expense was ultimately covered with surplus dollars, at the expense of desperately needed teacher pay raises and resources for public school students. Now, the Arizona Department of Education is demanding nearly double that amount, but the state has no funding left to cover this irresponsible, misguided expense. And that’s just for this year; this rapidly spiraling program has no cap or other method of control and JLBC projections show there is no future surplus to cover these massive costs. This program will bankrupt the state and our public schools. 

Save Our Schools Arizona’s Executive Director Beth Lewis issued the following statement:

“We are shocked but not surprised by this new budget demand from the ADE. Arizona simply does not have the funds to spend $900 million annually on taxpayer subsidies to the wealthy. Failure to limit the growth of the unaccountable, irresponsible ESA voucher program carries far-reaching and irreversible consequences for Arizona students and families; this failure will accelerate the dismantling of public education and bankrupt our state. The time to fight for public education is now. Not next year, and not in 2025. By all projections, by then it will be too late. 

We call upon Governor Hobbs and legislative leadership to develop a real, sustainable plan to ensure responsible fiscal stewardship of taxpayer funds and to fulfill their Constitutional obligation to prioritize and fund Arizona’s public schools. Arizona must act now to reverse the tide of school privatization and fully invest in our neighborhood public schools, educators and students.”