By admin 
PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Arizona voters could decide the fate of the state’s Empowerment Scholarship Account voucher program this November as two conflicting ballot measures move forward.
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The program allows families to use tax dollars to fund homeschooling and private schooling. About 100,000 students are enrolled, and it costs about $1 billion a year.
Republican measure already on ballot
The Republican-backed measure, nicknamed the “Military Family Protection Act,” is already set to appear on the ballot. The Goldwater Institute supports it and says if approved, it would be written into the state constitution.
“The Military Protection Act is very simple. It says you can’t confiscate funds from the children of military families,” said Matt Beienburg, director of education policy at the Goldwater Institute.
About 1,000 families currently in the ESA program are military families, according to the state Department of Education.
If it passes, once ESA money goes into an account for a military family, the state can’t take it back. The only exceptions are if the student finishes college, commits a crime, or goes four years after high school without enrolling in any school.
It would also block any future bill or ballot measure from changing those protections.
Critics, including the advocacy group Save Our Schools Arizona, say that language could shut down future attempts to reform the voucher system.
“What we see this as fear, right? This is the Republicans and special interests that have pushed vouchers into our state, that have refused to do anything to reform this runaway program,” said Beth Lewis, Save Our Schools Arizona director.
Reform measure still gathering signatures
Save Our Schools is backing a separate measure, nicknamed the “Protect Education Act.” Supporters call it voucher reform. It’s not on the ballot yet. They have until July to turn in enough signatures.
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Under this plan, any unused money in an ESA account would go back to the state and into public schools. It would also block families making more than $150,000 a year from joining the program.
“We have seen about four years of evidence that has mounted to show that the ESA voucher program is primarily going to wealthier families that are using the program as an entitlement for private school that they could already afford,” Lewis said. “And we’ve seen hundreds of millions of dollars stockpiling in accounts just sitting there unused.”
Conflict could end up in court
If both measures pass, the Protect Education Act would likely be blocked since it would change the program for all families, including military families, which is protected by the first measure.
The Goldwater Institute argues the state has already made a promise to these families.
“This measure says we are putting a line in the sand. We are permanently going to commit that the state of Arizona is going to make good on the promises that we’ve already made to these families. These are scholarship funds that have already been awarded,” Beienburg said.
Save Our Schools argues the “Military Family Protection Act” is using military families as political pawns to prevent voucher reform. The Goldwater Institute argues that if the “Protect Education Act” excluded military families, it wouldn’t be an issue.
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