This article was originally published in Arizona Mirror.Gov. Katie Hobbs is setting her sights on the state’s private school voucher program, announcing a plan Tuesday to reform the program’s oversight and eligibility, less than a week out from the start of the new legislative session.“Arizonans deserve to know their money is being spent on educating students, not on handouts to unaccountable schools and unvetted vendors for luxury spending,” Hobbs said in a written statement announcing her voucher regulation agenda. “My plan is simple: every school receiving taxpayer dollars must have basic standards to show they’re keeping our students safe and giving Arizona children the education they deserve.”Arizona’s private school voucher program, known formally as Empowerment Scholarship Accounts, has seen ballooning enrollment rates and costs since Republicans championed a universal expansion in 2022 that allows any student to receive a grant regardless of their public school history. The program, originally meant to benefit public school students attending failing schools or with special education needs, is projected to cost the state nearly $1 billion in the upcoming fiscal year, and is a driving factor in the state’s growing budget shortfall.Support The 74’s year-end campaign. Make a tax-exempt donation now.A year ago, Hobbs sought to completely repeal the universal portion of the voucher program in her first year as governor, but vehement opposition from Republican lawmakers meant the proposal went nowhere. Now, the Democrat’s strategy to address acc …
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