Republican state leaders disagree with Governor Katie Hobbs who said Arizona’s universal school voucher program is over budget and "wasteful, runaway spending."
State Superintendent Tom Horne, Arizona House Speaker Ben Toma, and Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen issued a joint news release Wednesday.
They claim the governor's budget calculations are in error and combined spending for public schools and ESAs is under budget for the beginning of FY2024.
Petersen said he's open to improving our state's programs. He added Arizona families want to choose the best educational settings to meet their children's needs, so ESAs are here to stay.
Hobbs asked all three men to join her in a bipartisan effort to reform the voucher program that provides families with at least $7,300 a year per child they educate at home or send to private school.
Recently, an ABC15 analysis showed millions of dollars of voucher money were going to non-academic extras like ski lessons, luxury car driving lessons and pianos. Hobbs said Thursday these are things “that don’t benefit Arizonans that their taxpayer dollars can be spent on.”
Hobbs said ESA reforms could include “reining in what it can be spent on or who is eligible. Every option is on the table right now; there is no accountability.”
Toma said Hobbs has made “vague tweet threats“ but the state legislature “has yet to see any policy proposals from her office.”
