Empowerment Scholarship Account program
Coverage of Empowerment Scholarship Account program in the Nexus archive.
- School voucher advocates sue to keep ESA reform measure off the November ballot
The Goldwater Institute is challenging the 'Protect Education, Accountability Now Act' initiative's voter signatures to prevent it from appearing on the November ballot. The initiative, supported by Save Our Schools Arizona, submitted over 420,000 signatures to qualify for the ballot, but the Goldwater Institute alleges over 73,000 signatures are invalid. The Protect Education Act aims to reform Arizona's school voucher program by imposing income caps, clawing back unused funds, and restricting ESA spending.
- School voucher special session deal is likely dead in the water
A Republican-led plan to call a special session in Arizona to negotiate with the Arizona Education Association (AEA) over school voucher reforms is unlikely to succeed. The plan aimed to block two citizen-led initiatives targeting the Empowerment Scholarship Account program, but failed after a negotiated compromise collapsed, leading Republicans to push a controversial bill that would effectively block ESA reforms.
- GOP lawmakers mull special session for school voucher deal with teachers union
Republican lawmakers in Arizona are considering a special session to negotiate a deal that would nullify two ballot initiatives targeting the state's school voucher program. The effort follows a failed compromise with the Arizona Education Association, which aimed to implement modest reforms in exchange for abandoning the initiatives, and a subsequent Republican-backed ballot referral that would block future voucher reforms.
- Kimberly Yee says Tom Horne’s voucher program is ‘complete chaos.’ Horne says Yee backed DEI.
Kimberly Yee criticized Tom Horne's school voucher program as 'complete chaos,' while Horne accused Yee of supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Both candidates, running in the Arizona Republican primary for Superintendent of Public Instruction, exchanged allegations during a debate, with Horne claiming Yee wanted to allow parents to use taxpayer funds for luxury purchases and Yee denying any DEI committee membership.
- Democratic school chief candidates debated voucher fraud, teacher shortage and Horne hotline
Democratic candidates Brett Newby and Teresa Leyba Ruiz debated issues including voucher program oversight, teacher retention, and accountability in Arizona's public education system. Ruiz emphasized her 35-year education background and budget management experience, while Newby highlighted challenges in rural schools and support for students with autism. Both candidates criticized the state's voucher program for lacking oversight and mismanagement.