By Rachel Leingang | Arizona Capitol Times
Gov. Doug Ducey Tuesday said lifting an enrollment cap that will be imposed as a school voucher program expands is “not even a consideration.”
At least not at this time.
Ducey signed a bill on April 6 expanding Empowerment Scholarship Accounts to all children. The program, which would give students about $4,400 a year on average to attend a private school instead of a public one, is currently limited to disabled students, students residing in tribal areas, foster children, children of military families and kids in failing schools.
Related: Did Arizona lawmakers get punked on school-voucher deal?
Under SB1431, any pupil will be eligible for a voucher, though growth will be capped at 0.5 percent of the state’s student population, or about 5,500 new students per year, which translates to approximately 30,000 spots by 2022.
Also under the bill, the ESA enrollment level in 2022 will become the hard cap going forward.
