Limit School Voucher Spending- Arizona
Arizona’s school voucher costs have exploded to $985 Million per year
and taxpayers are stuck with the bill.
How It Started
Arizona’s school voucher program allows families to use public education funds for approved education-related expenses outside public schools.
It was originally created to help students with disabilities access specialized services that public schools could not always provide.
How It's Going
After the program was expanded in 2022, public funds began paying for students who were never in public schools, while public schools still educate most students and must meet the same standards.
How We Fix It
This measure repeals the 2022 expansion and restores the voucher program to its original, targeted, and accountable design.
Saving Arizona's Public Schools nearly $1 billion per year.
How We Win
Voters have the power to fix this.
This measure won’t move forward on its own.
It requires a community willing to support the legal filing, signature collection, and campaign work needed to place it on the ballot.
This is how we turn concern into real, enforceable change.
Not just another protest.
Why This Project Exists
Arizona’s school voucher program was originally created to help students with specific needs, such as children with disabilities or those in foster care, access alternative education options.
In 2022, that program was expanded to cover nearly all students, regardless of need, income, or whether they had ever attended public school.
Since then, costs have surged far beyond projections, creating budget instability and pulling hundreds of millions of dollars away from Arizona’s public education system.
This project exists to restore fiscal guardrails and return the voucher program to its original, targeted purpose.
What This Project Does
The ballot measure would:
Repeal the 2022 law that made ESA eligibility universal
Restore eligibility to pre-2022 categories, including students with disabilities, students attending low-rated public schools, military families, and children in foster care or adopted from state care
End new ESA enrollments outside those categories
Provide a transition period for families currently receiving funds
Require transparent reporting on ESA costs and usage
The goal is a stable, predictable program that serves students who need it most.Stabilize school funding so districts can plan responsibly. Families would still be free to choose private or home education, but unrestricted public subsidies would be rolled back.
Why This Matters
After the universal expansion:
ESA program costs more than tripled in a single year
Over $860 million per year is now spent on universal vouchers
The majority of new ESA recipients were already enrolled in private or homeschool settings
Public schools lost funding while still required to serve all remaining students
Without limits, ESA spending is projected to continue rising, crowding out other education priorities and creating long-term budget pressure across the state.
This project is about responsible use of public funds, not ideology.
Where This Project is Now
This project is in the pre-filing/state tailoring phase.
Before signature collection can begin, the campaign must:
Finalize official ballot language
Complete legal and fiscal review
File the measure with the state
Prepare for statewide signature gathering
These steps are required before voters can sign a petition.
How You Can Participate
Project members help guide the campaign’s direction and make early progress possible.
Members:
Participate in votes on major project decisions
Help shape priorities, timelines, and messaging
Support promotion and early-stage project needs
Receive project updates and decision prompts
Membership is how the project stays community-led instead of top-down.
Active Team
The active team is made up of people who help do the work needed to move the project forward.
Active team members may:
Help promote the project and explain it publicly
Volunteer research, writing, design, or technical skills
Assist with outreach to communities and organizations
Collect signatures once filing is complete
Help track progress and support day-to-day tasks
Participation is flexible and based on availability. Some people contribute regularly; others step in when needed.
No campaign experience required.