PHOENIX – Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Diane Douglas said today she supports the measured expansion of the Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program at the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) as outlined in legislation signed yesterday by Gov. Doug Ducey.
Superintendent Douglas said, “The legislation signed yesterday will allow more parents to choose schools that best meet their children’s needs. As a supporter of educational choice in all its forms, I am pleased to see the ESA program expanded in a measured way that keeps oversight of how taxpayer dollars are spent with the Department. I applaud the work of the Legislature and Governor Ducey in expanding options for parents in Arizona.
“To ensure the program has the resources it needs to serve parents and fully account for allowable expenditures, I am calling on the Legislature to fund the administration of the program at the full four percent of ESA allocations as provided by law. Those additional monies will allow our staff to address the additional requirements set forth in the new law and properly manage the program as it grows.”
