Arizona
Recent rejected Arizona school voucher expense requests
PHOENIX — The Arizona Department of Education has released some universal school voucher expense requests that were denied amid criticism from Gov. Katie Hobbs over usage of funding from the program.
Request appeals that were denied in Monday’s board meeting were for a commercial freeze dryer worth $2,300 and car seats. Both requests were denied since the items weren’t for educational purposes.
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne added that an appeal from a parent for a dune buggy is also expected to be denied in the coming months.
“The department and State Board have again shown this week that we take these expense approvals seriously and will not tolerate attempts to go beyond what the law permits,” Horne said in a press release.
“We allow only what public schools provide at reasonable cost.”
Why are Horne and Hobbs at odds over educational spending account (ESA) expenses?
Hobbs released an eight-point ESA plan on Jan. 2 that asked for manual approval for purchases over $500. The goal was to ensure purchases for academics and not for luxury, according to Hobbs.
Horne, in response to Hobbs, said measures were already in place to review purchases over $500.
Horne said over 12,000 purchase order expense requests were rejected in 2023.
“Despite the claims we hear from opponents of the ESA program, under my watch we review every expense request regardless of dollar amount,” Horne said.