Arizona's voucher program costs struggling district $20M as parents flee public schools

Tucson Unified School District (TUSD), based in Tucson, Arizona, is reportedly facing financial and enrollment struggles after universal school choice passed in the state in 2022.

A TUSD official told KGUN that approximately 4,000 students used vouchers to either go to private schools or homeschool.

The trend of parents overlooking TUSD cost the school district about $20 million. TUSD's Chief Financial Officer, Ricky Hernandez, told the local outlet that TUSD is "preparing for continued declines in enrollment as a result" of vouchers.

Vouchers are a form of school choice that allow parents to send their kids to schools outside their neighborhood or opt out of going to public school. 

Arizona became the first state to offer universal school choice for all families in 2022, launching an $800 million program that gives parents $7,000 to put toward their children's tuition. Several other states followed, indicating a trend of parents seeking alternative options to traditional public schools. 

Tucson Unified School District, based in Tucson, Arizona, is reportedly facing financial and enrollment struggles after universal school choice passed in the state in 2022. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

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Parents’ use of school vouchers put the district’s already debilitating enrollment in worse circumstances, including impacting teacher pay, according to TUSD's chief financial officer. The district cannot offer competitive pay to retain and recruit teachers due to the loss of money the district incurred.

Furthermore, the district has had to implement budget reductions as a result. 

"If those numbers aren’t there, then that certainly affects the number of teachers that we have, how we can compensate them," Hernandez said to KGUN.

The president of the Tucson Education Association, a local branch of the National Education Association, warned that the loss of funds could lead to teachers leaving the district.

Arizona became the first state to offer universal school choice for all families in 2022, launching an $800 million program that gives parents $7,000 to put toward their children's tuition. Several other states followed, indicating a trend of parents seeking alternative options to traditional public schools. (AP)

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"Having to look at, 'do I stay in education? How many other jobs do I have to keep this one?'" Jim Byrne told KGUN.

On the other hand, the Vail Unified School District (VUSD), located in Vail, Arizona, is seeing the opposite.

The local outlet reported on Tuesday an increase in enrollment over the last year. More specifically, the district’s K-8 saw an increase of 20 to 50 students.

The VUSD superintendent, John Carruth, attributed the growth to the housing construction growing in the area. Carruth added that their losses to school vouchers were offset by students leaving other public school districts to enroll in VUSD.

Reacting to the school district's difference in outcomes after the vouchers, school choice advocates weighed in.

Several red states passed universal school choice, following Arizona, indicating a trend of parents seeking alternative options around the country.

"Some school districts are better than others. The best ones that are competitive don't have to worry as much about losing their customers," Corey DeAngelis of the American Culture Project said to Fox News Digital.

Education policy analyst, Jason Bedrick of the Heritage Foundation, who is based in Arizona tracking policy decisions in the state, said to Fox News Digital that  TUSD "has long had a reputation for poor quality, despite spending more per pupil than the state average."

"Only 21 percent of TUSD students passed the state math exam last year, well below both the state average (32 percent) and district with similar demographics (26 percent). The passing rate for TUSD students is not much better in English (27 percent) and even worse in science (18 percent)," Bedrick said, citing state data.

"On http://GreatSchools.org, parents also complain about chronic issues with discipline, safety, and school culture," he added to Fox News Digital.

New Hampshire is the latest state to pass universal school choice, joining Arizona in responding to concerns of children being trapped in failing school districts.

The TUSD nor the VUSD immediately responded to Fox News Digital's request for comment.