Arizona Gives School Choice to All K-12 Students

This session, let's expand school choice any way we can," declared Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey in his State of the State address on Jan. 10, "Let's think big and find more ways to get kids into the school of their parents' choice. Send me the bills, and I'll sign them." 

The Arizona Legislature on Friday night answered Ducey's call, passing a bill to expand eligibility for the state's Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (also known as education savings accounts or ESAs) to all K-12 students. 

Once signed into law, Arizona will reclaim its title as the state with the "most expansive ESA" policy in the nation. Empowerment Scholarship Accounts empower families with the freedom and flexibility to customize their child's education. 

Arizona families can currently use ESAs to pay for private school tuition, tutoring, textbooks, homeschool curriculums, online courses, educational therapy, and more. The ESAs are funded with 90% of the state portion of Arizona's per-pupil funding, including the additional funds for students with special needs. 

Currently, about a quarter of elementary and secondary students in Arizona are eligible for an ESA, including students with special needs, students assigned to low-performing district schools, the children of active-duty military personnel, and a few other categories of students. 

The Arizona Senate passed HB 2853 on Friday night on a vote of 16 to 10. Earlier in the week, the Arizona House of Representatives passed it by a margin of 31 to 26.

GRTWT.