A voucher warning for NC

Arizona public education advocates say their state is grappling with the fallout from a voucher program without income limits – it’s caused multiple public-school closures and depleted funds for essential public services.

In 2022, Arizona passed a universal voucher program – anyone could get money for their child to attend private school or even home school. 

In North Carolina, state legislators lifted income limits on who can apply for vouchers in 2024. The intent of the program established in 2013 was originally to provide low- and moderate-income families with an alternative to low-performing public schools.

Just two years ahead of North Carolina, Arizona serves as a case study of where North Carolina could be headed if we don’t stop funneling money out of public schools.

The fallout

Sadly, Arizona public schools are losing funds they desperately need to the voucher program.

“Over the last three years, I think we’ve seen 20+ schools closed, which is really unfortunate,” said Tyler Kowch, Communications Manager at Save Our Schools Arizona.

North Carolina proudly holds the title of #1 state in the nation to do business. Business leaders in North Carolina have warned of the consequences of neglecting public schools, and Arizona has experienced that firsthand.

“Amazon was looking to build their second headquarters,” Kowch said. “We were on one of the first lists, and we were quickly eliminated because we didn’t have a highly skilled workforce.”

With little oversight, the state has seen many people take advantage. 

“We call them ‘strip-mall private schools,’ or ‘fly-by-night private schools’ that kind of just open up in a strip mall, charge exactly the cost of a voucher and maybe don’t even make it through the full school year before they close because of financial mismanagement,” Kowch said.

Kowch said home-school voucher funds have been particularly problematic.

“There (have) been lots of examples of people just buying crazy things with the dollars in the program,” Kowch said. “We have people buying like mini-fridges, and kayaks, and even lingerie earlier this year with their voucher funding.”

Marisol Garcia, the Arizona Education Association President, said the state has even seen parents make up “ghost kids.”

“Creating these children who don’t even exist, pulling money year after year,” Garcia said. “Then the Attorney General’s office finds out about it and then has to file a criminal complaint against them.”

The future

Though every student qualifies for voucher money, not every student has the means to travel.

“Every kid should be able to walk to their public school, ride their bike safely to a public school,” Garcia said. “They shouldn’t have to get in a car, drive 20 minutes away to go to a great school.”

That’s why public-school funding can’t stop.

“These students, whether or not in public schools, whether or not you’re funding them, are going to be the ones taking care of you in the future,” Garcia said.

Garcia issues a warning for North Carolina residents and legislators.

“We want people to learn from us that this program does not have the benefits that you may have been sold,” Garcia said.

“We now are operating in a terrible fiscal situation in our state to which we may have to make some harder decisions when it comes to investments in our water, in our housing, when it comes to providing safety for our citizens, because this system has no accountability, no transparency, and is impacting all of us in the long run.”