Vouchers Continue to Cause School Closures in Arizona
8 more local schools closed amid rapid voucher expansion
Save Our Schools Arizona reports on the impact of that state’s universal Education Savings Accounts (private school discount coupons):
8 more community schools close: Our hearts break for the Kyrene and Scottsdale communities, as their school boards have voted to shutter neighborhood schools. Kyrene voted to close 6 schools, and Scottsdale Unified voted to shut down 2 schools at the end of this school year. These votes come after months of emotional community input and difficult conversations about budget constraints. This brings the total number of schools shut down since universal ESA voucher expansion to 28, with at least 4 more closures expected in Amphi.
Sadly, as long as the Arizona legislature continues to drastically underfund our students and allow the $1 billion ESA voucher program to go unchecked, local districts across the state will be forced to make these heartbreaking decisions – and students and families pay the price.
The Indianapolis move comes at a time when national forces are seeking full privatization of public schools, with some in the Trump Administration’s education leadership suggesting public education should all but end within 5-6 years.
In states like Tennessee, advocacy groups are launching efforts to disrupt public education so much it is effectively a thing of the past.
This is what happens to public education what rationing and underfunding and diverting resources from public schools occurs. This country needs successful public schools for a successful and sustainable democracy. As Thomas Jefferson said: If the country wants to be ignorant and free, it wants what never was and never will be….. Closing public schools leads to low information voters. Perhaps that is the goal……