Arizona Now Has A Universal School Voucher Program. Who Really Benefits From It?
Arizona was the first state to implement the type of school vouchers known as education savings accounts. In an ESA, the family is given a stack of public tax dollars to spend on educating their child.
These vouchers were originally targeted at students attending public schools with a D or F grade from the state, students with special needs, and children of active military, as well as some other narrow qualifications. This summer, Arizona expanded those eligibility requirements to include every student in the state.
That trajectory for school choice policy is not unusual. It’s typical for choice supporters to get a foot in the door by aiming the policies at students in “failing” schools or with special needs. Now that the application period for the universal vouchers is over, a picture of who will be served by them can emerge. A new analysis by the Grand Canyon Institute, a “centrist think tank” in Arizona, finds that the new system is no longer focused on helping poor students escape “failing” schools.
Says GCI, “These vouchers primarily benefit wealthier households.” GCI found that no zip codes with a median income above $80,000 (well above the state median income) have schools receiving a D or F grade from the state. Those wealthier zip codes account for 45% of universal ESA applicants. Those zip codes that do include a “failing” school only account for 3.5% of the universal ESA applicants.
80% of universal ESA applicants are not in public schools. That means one of two things must happen. Either the state must come up with additional funding (about $177 million in GCI’s estimate), or school districts will send funding to “follow” those students, even though the reduction in costs for the district will be $0.