GRAHAM COUNTY — $3.7 million is being pulled away from Graham County school districts through ESA vouchers.
That’s according to data released by Save Our Schools, a non-partisan grass-roots organization that advocates for public school education.
The Safford Unified District is hardest hit, with 140 vouchers in the district accounting for $1.4 million. Sixty-nine percent of the students using the vouchers were already in private education prior to receiving the vouchers.
Thatcher has 94 vouchers in the district, totaling $940,000, and 67 percent already in private education prior to getting a voucher.
The Fort Thomas District has 61 vouchers totaling $610,000, with almost all — 93 percent — in private education before receiving a voucher.
The Pima School District has 48 vouchers totaling $480,000, with 67 percent in private education before receiving a voucher.
Solomon District has 29 vouchers totaling $290,000, with 72 percent in private education before receiving a voucher.
There is no data showing voucher use in the Bonita School District.
Greenlee County school districts are also seeing an impact from vouchers.
Morenci has 18 vouchers in use, totaling $180,000, with 78 percent of those already in private education.
Duncan has eight vouchers, totaling $80,000; however, none of those recipients were in private education prior to receiving a voucher.
That’s not the case in the Blue Elementary School District. While there are only two vouchers in use, totaling $20,000, both of those students were already in private education.
Vouchers can be used to offset tuition to private, parochial and online schools, and for costs associated with home schooling for children 6 to 16 years old.
Under Arizona law, private schools are not required to be accredited, obtain licensing, or be registered with or receive approval from the state. There are no text book or testing requirements, teachers are not required to be certified and the state Board of Education has no authority over private schools.
However, under state law, private schools and home schools must ensure “academic instruction is provided for at least the same number of days and hours each year as a public school,” and students “must receive instruction in reading, grammar, mathematics, social studies, and science, at a minimum.”
