With the deadline for petitions looming on July 3, the battle over Arizona’s school voucher program is heating up, as supporters and opponents rally around two competing ballot measures. The program, which provides Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (ESAs), has seen substantial growth and now serves over 100,000 students, costing state taxpayers more than $1 billion this year. The expansion, initiated under former Gov. Doug Ducey, makes nearly every K-12 student eligible for the program, offering $7,000 per student for tuition and other educational expenses.
The proposed Protect Education Act seeks to limit eligibility for families earning over $150,000, a move supported by teachers unions. Conversely, the Arizona Empowerment Scholarship Accounts Reform and Accountability Act aims to maintain universal eligibility while increasing oversight to prevent misuse of funds. This initiative is backed by Fortify AZ, supported by the American Federation for Children, previously chaired by Betsy DeVos.
Both initiatives require 255,949 signatures to be included on the November ballot. Fortify AZ proposes limiting reimbursements to pre-approved purchases via Classwallet, aligning Arizona with other states’ voucher systems. This response follows reports of ESA funds being used for luxury items such as diamond rings and resort stays, as noted in a 2024 audit by 12News.
Superintendent Tom Horne’s decision in December 2024 to automate approval of transactions under $2,000 aimed to handle a backlog of claims, resulting in 2.3 million transactions processed by January 2026. However, only 30% of these were audited, raising concerns over improper spending. An Arizona Auditor General report highlighted that $102.1 million in transactions bypassed full risk assessment, with funds used for items like Disneyland tickets and cruises.
Critics such as Olivia Fierro from Protect Education, Accountability Now!, argue that Fortify AZ’s initiative is a distraction from genuine reform. Despite financial backing from Betsy DeVos-linked groups, Fierro claims substantial support for their initiative, stating, “Arizonans are rushing to sign for and support the Protect Education Act.”
The financial backing for these initiatives is significant. The American Federation for Children provided Fortify AZ with $1.3 million, while Protect Education, Accountability Now! has raised $4.4 million, primarily from the National Education Association. Ducey, along with school choice advocate Jenny Clark, has been active in campaigning for ESAs through online ads, linking the initiatives to external interests.
The Ducey-led Institute for American Prosperity targets women over 35 with children, using ads that emphasize the benefits of educational choice and downplay fraud concerns. Meanwhile, AZ Loves ESAs uses Google Ads to promote a “Decline to Sign” campaign, backed by public figures like Rep. Andy Biggs and actor Rob Schneider.
As Arizona’s voucher program continues to be a focal point of debate, the stakes are high for both proponents and opponents, with each side mobilizing resources and public support ahead of the upcoming petition deadline.
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