Do you remember staying home from school as a kid when you were sick? Maybe you watched “The Price is Right.” It was always interesting to hear the actual retail price revealed, and to compare the actual cost of a new car or a shiny display of cleaning products.
I’m reminded of that exciting reveal when the topic of school vouchers arises. In Arizona, an education savings account program ( aka vouchers ) was sold to taxpayers at a cost of $33M. Actual retail price: $800M. And rising . That’s a 323% increase in two years.
As of Sept. 2024, 69% of Arizona’s voucher enrollees were already attending private schools. Parents who could already afford to pay tuition are now reimbursed by taxpayers from across the Grand Canyon State. A closer look at the program shows the vast majority of voucher dollars are going to the wealthiest neighborhoods. Two research studies found that well-to-do suburbs in the Phoenix metro area gobble up a disproportionate amount of the voucher program’s funding, leaving rural parts of Arizona footing the bill…