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State agency spends millions marketing vouchers
The Arizona Department of Education is on track to spend about $2.5 million on advertising for the Empowerment Scholarship Account program, or school vouchers, through the end of the year.
ESA red tape strands rural mom
Angela Amezcua, an Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) parent, does not want to drive six hours to pick up her children’s school supplies. She would much rather drive a half hour into town, where she works, buys groceries and supplies and pick up her mail at a UPS P.O. box, but the Arizona Department of Education won’t allow the use of her P.O. box for ESA orders.
Rumor of late legislative session floats through capitol
Could the legislature stay in session into the fall, or until the end of the year? The rumor that lawmakers won’t adjourn sine die anytime soon has been spreading through the state capitol for weeks, even if nobody is ready to publicly endorse the idea.
Bill to expand ESA reporting advances, barely
A bill that would expand reporting requirements for the Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program narrowly passed the Senate Education Committee on Feb. 15.
Republicans push Hobbs to finish referendum signature verification
Republicans across the state joined forces today urging Secretary of State Katie Hobbs to “expedite” the signature verification process on a seemingly failed voter referendum to block universal expansion of empowerment scholarships.
GOP lawmakers push bill to fund private school costs
In the waning weeks of the 2022 session, Republican lawmakers are trying to make every Arizona student eligible for funding to help pay for private school tuition and tying the expansion to a $400 million increase in education funding.
School choice groups call session a win
While efforts to broadly expand Empowerment Scholarship Account, or vouchers, eligibility failed this year, school choice advocates found other reasons to celebrate the legislative session.
GOP budget maneuvers anger educators
Public school advocates’ frustrations with the state budget go beyond Gov. Doug Ducey’s tax plan – the rebirth of zombie bills and expansion of empowerment scholarship account eligibility are an added blow to groups that say the Legislature should prioritize traditional public education.
Audit calls for more staff for voucher program
An audit into the state’s Empowerment Scholarship Accounts program management shows that the Arizona Department of Education needs to hire 21 additional full-time employees in order to run it smoothly.
Vouchers help Native American students climb ‘the ladder’
I am not saying that every family should use an ESA or that every child should be in a private school. What I am saying is that having no choice but to be in a public-school setting is no choice at all.
State should do more to empower Native Americans with school choice
When eight Navajo families in Window Rock received a letter from the Arizona Department of Education last month, they were shocked by what was inside.
Bill allows 10 Navajo Nation students to use Arizona vouchers across state lines
The Arizona Department of Education and state legislators came to a compromise that would no longer punish students and parents on the Navajo reservation who use school vouchers to attend out-of-state schools.
