Local Opinion: School voucher expansion means less for public schools

This summer, the Arizona Legislature expanded eligibility for government-funded school vouchers to every student in the state, regardless of their family’s income or ability to pay for private school tuition. Hailed by Gov. Ducey as “the most expansive school choice legislation in the nation,” the universal expansion of the Empowerment Scholarship Accounts Program heralds a drastic shift toward greater public funding of private schools.

Families who obtain an Empowerment Scholarship Account receive 90% of the state funding that would otherwise go toward their child’s public school. The families can then spend those funds on tuition for private school, uniforms or other school-related items. In turn, the public school in the child’s community does not receive state or local funding for that student. Families considering whether to apply for an Empowerment Scholarship Account might not realize that each account diverts funds away from their public school.

The expansion of the Empowerment Scholarship Account Program comes at a time when our district schools are understaffed and under-resourced. The Arizona Daily Star recently reported that TUSD, Tucson’s largest school district, will begin staffing some classes with third-party providers due to a shortage of teachers. And TUSD is not the only one with teacher shortages. School districts across Pima County have started the school year with numerous unfilled positions.

District schools are a vital resource that our families and communities depend on. Despite the availability and prevalence of school choice options in Arizona, the vast majority of students attend a district public school. As TUSD Superintendent Gabriel Trujillo recently reported, enrollment in TUSD is up this year, with many students returning to district schools after homeschooling or attending charter schools.

District schools are here for all of us. District schools educate most of the children in our communities, and these children will grow to become the next generation of Tucsonans. Furthermore, district schools are here for every family — even those whose children are homeschooled or attend private school — as a reliable school option in case their chosen school does not work out. TUSD’s increasing enrollment numbers demonstrate that families across Tucson continue to rely on district schools to be available for their children, even with increasing school choice options that families might consider.

The universal expansion of the Empowerment Scholarship Account program is scheduled to go into effect Sept. 24. Families, including those who can already afford private school tuition, will be considering whether they want to apply for one of these school vouchers.

This choice may be appealing to many families. Private school costs can be steep. But there is a cost to obtaining an Empowerment Scholarship Account, too — one that comes at the expense of the public schools in our communities.