Arizona Lawmakers Debate $10M Spent on Ads vs. Staffing for School Voucher Program

Democrats question whether the state prioritized promoting the program's growth over oversight and administration.

Published on Feb. 25, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

Arizona lawmakers are considering a $3.7 million investment to bolster staffing at the Arizona Department of Education as it struggles to administer the state's rapidly expanding school voucher program, known as Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (ESAs). However, Democrats are questioning whether the department is prioritizing program oversight or simply promoting its growth, pointing to a previous allocation of $10 million that was used for advertising instead of hiring additional staff.

Why it matters

The ESA program has seen enrollment jump from 10,000 students in 2021 to nearly 102,000 today, raising concerns about the department's ability to properly review and approve voucher expenses. Democrats argue the lack of oversight could lead to increased waste, fraud, and abuse, while Republicans say the new funding is crucial to ensure families can access the voucher funds they are entitled to.

The details

The Arizona House of Representatives passed two bills on Monday, allocating $1 million this year and $2.6 million next year to hire additional staff at the Arizona Department of Education to administer the ESA program. However, Democrats argue the state previously provided the department with $10 million specifically for hiring more staff three years ago, but the funds were instead used for advertising the program through television commercials featuring the state superintendent.

  • In 2024, the department implemented a policy to automatically approve any voucher expense under $2,000 without initial review to address mounting backlogs and ensure families received reimbursements.
  • In 2023, the legislature allowed individual lawmakers to earmark $10 million for specific projects, with Senator Janae Shamp using a portion of her allocation to fund ESA marketing campaigns.

The players

Matt Gress

A Republican state representative from Phoenix who argued the new funding is crucial to address the ESA program's explosive growth.

Tom Horne

The Arizona Superintendent who has repeatedly stated the department lacks sufficient staff to thoroughly review every voucher purchase in a timely manner.

Nancy Gutierrez

A Democratic state representative from Tucson who argued the state previously provided the department with $10 million for hiring additional staff, but the funds were instead used for advertising the ESA program.

Janae Shamp

A Republican state senator from Surprise who used a portion of her $10 million allocation to fund ESA marketing campaigns.

Katie Hobbs

The Democratic governor of Arizona who has indicated she will not support additional funding for the ESA program unless it is coupled with broader voucher reforms.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“Haven't we heard from a lot of folks that we need more eyes on these purchases?”

— Matt Gress, State Representative (newsdirectory3.com)

“So they spent $10 million on advertising the program to get more people using the program without ever taking time to explore how people might abuse this program.”

— Nancy Gutierrez, State Representative (newsdirectory3.com)

“The $10 million that was given to the Department of Education — my understanding was that it primarily was to market the program and for advertising.”

— John Ward, ESA Program Director (newsdirectory3.com)

What’s next

Any additional funding for the Arizona Department of Education's voucher program, including the bills proposed by Gress, will require the approval of Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs, who has indicated she will not support new money unless it is coupled with broader voucher reforms.

The takeaway

This dispute over the use of $10 million in state funds highlights the ongoing debate around the Arizona school voucher program, with Democrats arguing for stronger oversight and accountability, and Republicans pushing for increased funding to expand the program's reach.