Written by Don Byrd
Legislation that would greatly expand Arizona’s school voucher system passed a house committee vote yesterday, sending the measure to the full house for consideration.
On a 5-3 vote the House Ways and Means Committee agreed to allow what are called “empowerment scholarships” beginning next school year for any child attending kindergarten through fifth grade. These scholarships are roughly equivalent to what the state would provide in aid for a public school.
That would expand through eighth grade the year after that, and all grades in the 2019-2020 school year.
Arizona’s school voucher program initially applied only to special needs students, but has gradually been expanded. This further expansion would create a sweeping voucher scheme like Nevada’s, which is currently the subject of a lawsuit. Stay tuned.
