By admin 
TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) – New data shows students from high-income zip codes are enrolled in Arizona’s ESA program at a higher rate than students from low-income neighborhoods, according to the new numbers on Empowerment Scholarship Account enrollment.
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According to a recent report, 11.2% of students in high-income zip codes are enrolled in Arizona’s ESA program. That’s in comparison to just 4% of students in low-income zip codes.
The data suggests a broader trend of school voucher enrollment increasing as student income level does.
Debate over what the data shows
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne said zip codes are too large to indicate student economic status. He said the number of students coming from public schools has increased in recent years, which he said indicates growing enrollment from lower-income students.
“There’s been a constant trend where [there are] more public school students and less students coming from private school, to the point where now it’s 60% public school and 40% coming from private school,” Horne said.
Tucson Education Association President Jim Byrne pushed back and said a recent report from Tucson Unified School District found 80% of ESA recipients in Tucson previously attended private schools.
“Unless they’ve got a different source of funding, they’ve been able to self-fund, so these are sort of subsidies for families who don’t need it,” Byrne said.
Legislative battle and potential ballot measures
The income debate is at the heart of a battle in the Arizona Legislature as attempts to push forward a voucher reform deal collapsed last week.
Voters may face competing education-related ballot measures this November, including the Protect Education Act effort by Save our Schools. The anti-ESA proposal would impose several program restrictions, like a $150,000 income cap, which Horne said he doesn’t support.
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“We’re all paying taxes. The people with more money are paying more taxes, and if there’s government benefits available, they should be entitled to it,” Horne said.
Byrne said an income cap would make more people ineligible for the program and free up more tax dollars for public education.
“You are nowhere close to being fiscally conservative if you’re spending over a billion dollars on people who can afford it. You’re subsidizing families who can afford the education that they’re trying to provide for their kids outside of public schools,” Byrne said, citing the $1 billion price tag for the ESA program.
Horne said he’s hopeful voters won’t be faced with any ballot measures aimed at reforming the program, adding that he’s asked the Governor to convene a special session in the coming weeks to revisit the failed deal.
He said income caps would not be included in that deal, but said it would include additional money for increased account spending oversight and ESA program employees.
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