The Universal ESA amount exceeds per-pupil district funding, so elementary students leaving district schools each add $425 in state cost, while students leaving charter schools save the state $752 each¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (2 entries) · associational r2 · q2
Currency · newest study 2024 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person · recheck by 2027: local conditions change quickly

Subclaims¶

q2 i? In 2022–23 the elementary Universal ESA ($6,764) exceeded average per-pupil district funding ($6,339), so each elementary student leaving a district school for a Universal ESA adds $425 in state cost. → Griffith 2024 q2 i? An elementary student leaving a charter school for a Universal ESA yields a state savings of $752 per student, because charter schools are funded at a higher rate than district schools. → Griffith 2024 (2)

Evidence¶

Griffith 2024¶

Griffith, M., & Burns, D. (2024). Understanding the cost of universal school vouchers: An analysis of Arizona's Empowerment Scholarship Account program. Learning Policy Institute. https://doi.org/10.54300/682.951

q2 · i? · associational · r2

Cost calculation in the Average Per-Student Cost section, derived from legislation and state budget data: the Universal ESA is 90% of charter funding ($6,764 elementary) versus $6,339 district funding, a $425 added cost per district leaver.

"This means that, in general, elementary students currently attending a public district school who leave that school to accept a Universal ESA (at a private school or homeschool) represent an additional cost to the state of $425 each."

Griffith 2024 (2)¶

Griffith, M., & Burns, D. (2024). Understanding the cost of universal school vouchers: An analysis of Arizona's Empowerment Scholarship Account program. Learning Policy Institute. https://doi.org/10.54300/682.951

q2 · i? · associational · r2

Same per-pupil funding comparison (Table 1): charter per-pupil funding of $7,515 exceeds the $6,764 Universal ESA, producing the printed $752 per-student savings for charter leavers.

"By contrast, if an elementary student leaves a charter school to accept a Universal ESA (at a private school or homeschool), it will yield a savings to the state of $752 per student."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Arizona's ESA voucher program grew 409%, from 12,127 to 61,689 students, between the 2021–22 and 2022–23 school years, with nearly all growth from the new Universal ESA — related
• Total ESA program cost reached about $587 million in 2022–23, a 211% increase over the prior year, equal to 8.8% of Basic Student Aid funding — related
• The estimated net cost of the Universal ESA expansion is $242.7 million in 2022–23, rising to $295.2 million in 2023–24 — related
• The large majority (71.2%) of Universal ESA users had not previously attended a public school, adding new costs to the state education budget — related
• English learners are strongly underrepresented in the ESA program: 0.6% of ESA students versus 9.2% of public school students statewide — related