It’s a topic of much debate: how much is the universal Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (ESA) program costing the state versus how much is saving the state?
Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne claims the expanded school voucher program isn’t a drain on the state budget, even though it is projected to cost $100 million more than lawmakers planned for. Horne said the state’s overall education budget which covers funding for K-12 public schools, charter schools and the Empowerment Scholarship Account, or voucher
Research by the Joint Legislative Budget Committee shows that the state general fund pays out more for ESAs than it does to pay for a public school education.