Huge Arizona school voucher plan in effect after foes fail
A huge expansion of Arizona's private school voucher system has taken effect and the parents of all 1.1 million school-age children can use state tax money to pay for private school tuition and other costs
PHOENIX (AP) — All Arizona parents now can use state tax money to send their children to private or religious schools or pay homeschooling costs after an effort by public school advocates to block a massive expansion of the state's private school voucher law failed to collect enough signatures to block it.
Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs announced Friday that her office's review of signatures turned in a week ago to refer the expansion to the ballot came up short of the nearly 119,000 that were needed. Hobbs is a Democrat running for governor who opposed the plan.
Republican Gov. Doug Ducey championed the plan and signed it into law in July. He celebrated on Twitter, saying “Let's Roll!” and “Parents Prevail.”
Arizona now has the nation's most expansive private school voucher law. It allows parents of the more than 1.2 million school-age children to get 90% of the state money that would normally go to their local public school and use it for private or other school costs. That amounts to about $7,000 for a non-disabled student.
