By Kelly Fisher | PinalCentral
Gov. Doug Ducey signed a school voucher expansion bill last month that has led to several Pinal County school districts adopting an Arizona School Boards Association resolution to oppose the measure and push for repeal.
Senate Bill 1431 calls for a four-year, phased-in expansion of the state’s Education Savings Account, or ESA, program to any Arizona student beginning in the 2017-18 academic year. The accounts are also referred to as vouchers.
The Arizona Department of Education estimates that 3,100 students are currently enrolled in the ESA program, with about $46 million paid out in fiscal year 2017.
EdChoice, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, states that 22 percent of Arizona students are eligible for enrollment in the program — before the expansion takes effect — and 134 schools participated as of the 2014-15 academic year.
