Arizona Supreme Court Won’t Stop School Voucher Vote

On Wednesday, the Arizona Supreme Court ruled that an initiative that could halt a statewide school choice program can remain on this November’s ballot. A coalition including the Goldwater Institute filed the lawsuit last September, after a diverse group of parents and teachers filed petition signatures to halt the program’s expansion.

“Arizona’s school choice program allows thousands of families to build an education that best meets their child’s needs and gives them a better chance at realizing their dreams. But today’s Arizona Supreme Court decision may put this program in jeopardy,” Goldwater Institute President and CEO Victor Riches said. “Unfortunately, today’s ruling may result in parents losing an important say in their child’s education, and instead leave those decisions to the whims of the government.”

Goldwater and other school choice organizations had hoped to prevent Proposition 305, the Expansion of Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (ESA) Referendum, from appearing on the ballot in November 2018.

According to Ballotpedia, Proposition 305 “was initiated to overturn Senate Bill 1431 (SB 1431), which was designed to eventually make all K-12 students eligible to apply for an ESA. The expansion would phase in over four school years. For 2017-2018, students in kindergarten or grades 1, 6, and 9 would be eligible for ESAs. For 2019-2020, students in kindergarten or grades 1, 2, 6, 7, 9, and 10 would be eligible. For 2020-2021, students in kindergarten or grades 1 through 3 and 6 through 11 would be eligible. For 2021-2022, all K-12 students would be eligible. SB 1431 would cap the number of new students allowed to receive ESAs at 0.5 percent of the total number of students enrolled in school districts and charter schools per year through school year 2022-2023. For school year 2023-2024 and thereafter, the number of new ESAs per year would not exceed the number approved for school year 2022-2023. A student whose family is at or below 250 percent of the federal poverty line would be eligible for an ESA with 100 percent, rather than 90 percent, of what the state would have paid for the student in a district or charter school.

About ADI Staff Reporter 12171 Articles
Under the leadership of Editor-in -Chief Huey Freeman, our team of staff reporters bring accurate,timely, and complete news coverage.