It’s that time of year again. Like clockwork, opponents of educational freedom have resurfaced with their latest deception campaign. This time, Arizona Republic columnist EJ Montini claims educational freedom advocates are “caught in a lie.” Is he right? Let’s take a closer look and expose what’s really happening.
The “Failing Schools” Straw Man
Montini’s supposed “gotcha” moment? His smoking gun? Parents are using Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (ESAs) to withdraw their children from high-performing districts. This, he claims, contradicts our assertion that ESAs help students escape failing schools.
So, do some parents use ESAs to remove children from failing schools? Absolutely. Even Beth Lewis, Executive Director of Save Our Schools Arizona (SOS Arizona), begrudgingly acknowledges this fact. So where’s the lie?
Well, it isn’t coming from ESA supporters—it’s from those who deliberately misrepresent the pro-educational freedom position. We have never claimed that escaping failing schools is the only reason families choose alternative education. In fact, there are 85,608 unique reasons—one for each student currently enrolled in Arizona’s ESA program.
To be clear, public schools remain an option for many Arizona families. We don’t oppose public education; we champion parents having all educational options available to match their children’s specific needs and their values. However, when districts make decisions that conflict with families’ priorities, parents deserve the freedom to choose alternatives.
Take Scottsdale Unified School District, for example. Despite being an A-rated district, they’ve recently made headlines for controversial policies that many parents find objectionable. Scottsdale families aren’t fleeing “failing schools” by academic metrics—they’re seeking education that aligns with their values and priorities.
As Superintendent Tom Horne explained to 12NEWS (buried at the bottom of their report): “Parents sometimes leave because they’re sick of school districts where the school boards are dominated by left-wing people… You have a conservative community, but a left-wing school board that emphasizes things like DEI… critical race theory, transgender issues, things that people object to, boys’ and girls’ bathrooms and so on.”
Following the Money
Let’s consider another uncomfortable truth about Arizona’s public school system. Even as schools are appropriated more funding, less money reaches classrooms. A recent Arizona Capitol Times report revealed that only 52.6 cents of every education dollar was spent on actual instruction in 2023-2024—a decrease from the previous year, despite overall education spending increasing by $500 million. This amount includes everything from teachers and aides to instructional supplies, field trips and athletics. So where does the rest of that money go?
When people like Montini or organizations like SOS Arizona complain about losing funding to ESAs, perhaps they should look at Arizona’s public school system spending habits first. If nearly half of every dollar disappears before reaching the classroom, the problem isn’t ESAs.
The Money Follows the Child
The fundamental concept ESA opponents refuse to acknowledge is simple: education funding is meant to educate the child, not fund a system. Prior to ESAs, if parents chose alternatives to public education, the state still directed their child’s educational dollars to schools those children didn’t attend. The public system kept the money, while parents received nothing to support their child’s actual education.
Now, the money appropriately follows the child. If a public school district wants to recapture those funds, here’s a novel concept: Improve your services. Align with family values. Prioritize academics over ideology. In a free market of educational options, excellence will attract students—and their associated funding.
Setting the Record Straight on Who Benefits
Those fighting against parental choice perpetuate a particularly blatant falsehood: that ESAs primarily benefit wealthy families. The data tells a different story.
According to the Common Sense Institute , 54.3 percent of ESA recipients have a household income under $100,000. Let that sink in—the majority of families using ESAs are solidly working and middle class. Meanwhile, less than 3% of ESA-using households earn over $200,000 per year, while more than 13% of all Arizona families earn this much. In other words, wealthy families are significantly underrepresented in the ESA program compared to the general population.
The truth is that Arizona public schools receive significantly more money per student than what goes to an ESA student. Public schools get over $14,700 per student when all funding sources are counted—more than tuition at Arizona State University—while ESA students receive around $7,000. ESA students even forfeit access to funding streams like the Classroom Site Fund, which provides nearly $1,000 per student to public schools.
ESAs Create Savings, Not Deficits
Contrary to doomsday predictions, the ESA program isn’t bankrupting Arizona—it’s actually saving money. When public school enrollment drops as students move to ESAs, the state spends less overall on education. This basic math escapes those determined to undermine the program.
The numbers tell the story: In the program’s first year of universal expansion, Arizona enjoyed a $2 billion surplus. The following year, as more students enrolled in ESAs, the corresponding decline in public school enrollment balanced the books—with state analysts confirming that education spending came in under budget.
Vouchers vs. ESAs: Words Matter
Educational freedom adversaries deliberately mislabel ESAs as “vouchers” to exploit negative connotations and confuse the public. This isn’t accidental—it’s a calculated strategy to undermine support for the program by associating it with something more limited and controversial.
Unlike vouchers, which can only be used for private school tuition, ESAs allow families to customize their child’s education through multiple approved expenses:
- Tuition and fees at private schools
- Curriculum materials and educational supplies
- Educational therapies and services
- Tutoring services
- Online learning programs
- Standardized testing fees
- Educational technology
- Extracurricular activities
This flexibility empowers families to create educational experiences tailored to their children’s unique needs, instead of the one-size-fits-all approach of traditional public education.
Parents Know Best
The truth that ESA opponents refuse to acknowledge is fundamental: parents have the right and responsibility to direct their children’s education. They know their children’s educational needs, personalities, learning styles, and interests better than any bureaucrat or school administrator.
When opponents like Montini attack the ESA program with misleading claims and logical fallacies, they’re not just attacking a policy—they’re attacking the judgment of 85,608 Arizona families who have determined what’s best for their children.
Arizona leads the nation in educational freedom for good reason: we understand that parents, not systems, should drive educational decisions. If the public school system wants to compete for students and funding, they have a simple path forward: Be better.
The real lie isn’t coming from ESA supporters. It’s coming from education bureaucrats, advocacy groups, and ESA critics like Montini who view children as revenue sources that expands their system while claiming the moral high ground of ‘saving public education.’ Their priority isn’t children’s education—it’s preserving a system regardless of results.
For more information about Empowerment Scholarship Accounts, visit our ESA resource page or the Arizona Department of Education’s official ESA information portal.
ICYMI
- See what the Alliance Defending Freedom has to say on the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision blocking the creation of the first religious charter school.
- Learn how the “big beautiful” bill will defund Planned Parenthood, protect unborn lives, and redirect taxpayer dollars.
- Read why Governor Hobbs vetoed protective legislation for children despite growing evidence of harm from gender transition procedures.
- Watch how a new Live Action video debunks myths about pro-life laws harming women’s health.
Please link to the specific study.