Advocates Push for Arizona Ballot Measure to Limit School Vouchers

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Education advocates in Arizona have launched a new campaign to overhaul the state's school voucher program through a ballot initiative. The goal is to prevent wealthy families from using tax-funded Empowerment Scholarship Accounts to pay for private school tuition. The advocates have five months to collect around 250,000 signatures from registered voters to get the measure on the ballot.

Why it matters

Arizona's school voucher program has been controversial, with critics arguing that it diverts public funds away from public schools to benefit private and religious institutions. This ballot initiative aims to rein in the program and ensure that taxpayer money is used to support public education rather than private school choice for affluent families.

The details

The ballot initiative seeks to reform the Empowerment Scholarship Accounts, which allow families to use public funds to pay for private school tuition, homeschooling expenses, and other educational costs. Supporters of the measure want to stop wealthy families from taking advantage of the program and instead focus the funds on supporting public schools.

• The campaign to collect signatures for the ballot initiative launched in February 2026.
• Advocates have five months to gather around 250,000 signatures from registered voters.

What’s next

If the advocates are successful in collecting the required signatures, the ballot measure will be put to a vote in the next statewide election.