Grand Canyon Times

Matt Beienburg, the Director of Education Policy at the Goldwater Institute, shares recently discovered data concerning Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) in the state of Arizona. 

According to Beienburg, "New abc15 data shows strongest demand for Arizona Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (ESAs) comes from the state's most disadvantaged communities." 

He further reveals that "districts with the highest ESA use per capita statewide have child poverty rates far above (up to 2X) the state average."

The data analysis, conducted on approximately 68,000 ESA students, revealed that the majority, approximately 57%, of these students reside in districts with higher incomes, and many are also in proximity to tribal lands. 

Among the districts with the highest enrollment rates were the Colorado City Unified School District with 152 students per 1,000, followed closely by the Young Elementary District, Fort Thomas Unified, Ash Creek Elementary District, Concho Elementary District, and San Carlos Unified District. Additionally, the Scottsdale Unified School District experienced the largest growth in ESAs, with an increase of 1,000%, according to ABC 15.

It is worth noting that Arizona's ESA program was first established in 2011, but initially, only 23% of students met the qualifying criteria. These criteria included students with disabilities, those attending failing public schools, and wards of the court, among others. 

However, last year, a comprehensive school choice bill expanded access to ESAs for all students, allowing more families to take advantage of the program, as reported by Kindled.

Matt Beienburg serves as the Director of Education Policy at the Goldwater Institute, where his primary focus is on advocating for "educational freedom, parental rights, and greater civic appreciation of America’s founding principles". 

The Goldwater Institute, founded in 1988 in Arizona, is a policy research organization dedicated to protecting the individual rights and freedoms of the American people. The organization states it is "dedicated to advancing the principles of limited government, economic freedom, and individual liberty, with a focus on education, free speech, healthcare" and more, according to the Goldwater Institute website.