Parents want options for their children’s education. That is why so many went to the Arizona legislature and the governor this year and asked them to expand the state’s Universal Empowerment Scholarship Account Program so that it covers all of Arizona’s students.
The ESA program has been around for 11 years, but it’s only been available to a limited number of students who have qualified under particular classifications, such as those with special needs. As a mother of a child who has special needs and has benefited directly from this program, I have seen our son thrive with his education for the last nine years, thanks to the state’s ESA.
Some have raised concerns that the ESAs might be easily abused. But the tax dollars we have been able to draw upon for our son’s education are completely accountable to the state. Every year, we submit documentation for each purchase, which is then approved by the Department of Education. After the state’s approval, we are granted access to the next quarter’s funds.
What those who oppose school choice programs like ESAs really object to is that they put parents back in control of their children’s education. There is no better champion for a child than their parents. Public district and public charter schools are not for everyone. We need options for students and parents who don’t thrive in these settings. For our son, the public district school failed us, and the public charter schools disappointed us. That is why we left the “public system” of education. Every child is uniquely different and has different needs. ESAs simply ensure that each child’s needs can be met without significant financial sacrifices from their families.
Opponents of school choice, especially the teachers unions, also try to make it seem like families who choose alternative educational options for their children are destroying the public school system. But it is not an either/or decision. It really is a both/and. We need strong public schools, and we also need options for our children who don’t fit into that cookie-cutter style of learning. Children may be doing very well in a public school now, but their needs may change. Or the school may change, and then an ESA may be needed in the future.
Furthermore, Arizona’s ESA program does not gut the public education system’s funding, as the teachers unions have argued. If you read this year’s legislation, you will see there is a significant amount of money that is allocated to the public school system. They also retain all federal and local tax dollars. A student on an ESA only receives 90% of the state per pupil funding. According to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee, a public school child will receive approximately $13,306 in the coming school year, but an ESA recipient will receive $6,966. This is a win-win-win for the student, the public schools, and the taxpayers!
Right now, a group called Save Our Schools Arizona is out on the streets attempting to get the people of Arizona to sign a petition that could stop families from having the freedom of school choice. They’re trying to spread the false narrative that the new ESA law only benefits rich parents who want to send their children to private school. If that were the case, you would expect to see a low demand for these ESAs exclusively among wealthy residents. And yet, the new ESAs have been so popular with parents across all backgrounds and all parts of the political spectrum that applications for the program have overwhelmed the Arizona Department of Education’s website. In the first two weeks of the application going live, the department received 6,500 universal ESA applications.
The people of Arizona need to see through the lies they’re being sold. Save Our Schools Arizona wants to deprive Arizona’s children of receiving an education that works best for them.
Thankfully, hundreds of parents are fighting back. These engaged parents have been peacefully countering the Save Our Schools Arizona petition by making sure voters understand what they are signing. I encourage every voter in Arizona to decline to sign any petition from Save Our Schools Arizona. Our lawmakers knew what they were doing when they expanded the state’s ESA program: They were putting our children first and making Arizona the gold standard for school choice legislation in the country. Let’s leave this new law the way it is so that parents have full control over their children’s education. Our state and our children will be better off if we fund students rather than systems.
Christine Accurso is a wife, mother, and ESA parent leading the charge for the Decline to Sign Movement. You can find out more about this effort at DeclineToSignArizona.com
