Arizona is sending taxpayer money to religious schools -- and billionaires see it as a model for the US

Contributing sentiments towards policy:

59% : He was surprised to learn about the level of public funding it was receiving.
52% : A CNN investigation found that the program has cost hundreds of millions of dollars more than anticipated, disproportionately benefited richer areas, and funneled taxpayer funds to unregulated private schools that don't face the same educational standards and antidiscrimination protections that public schools do.
48% : "We're the canary in the coal mine," said Trevor Nelson, an education activist and a parent in the Paradise Valley district where public schools are closing.
48% : That means there is no way to compare test scores in public schools to students in the ESA program.
48% : Even small reductions in enrollment can destabilize school budgets in Arizona, which spends less per-student on public education than nearly any other state in the US.
44% : Pro-voucher advocates embraced those culture war fights, refocusing their efforts on red states where they painted public schools as out of step with parents' values.
43% : AFC ran ads attacking Republicans who opposed universal ESA expansion bills - often rural legislators whose constituents were more likely to rely on public schools - in states like Iowa, Tennessee, Texas and elsewhere.
42% : Half of Republicans polled told Gallup in 2022 that they had very little or no confidence in public schools, up from 31% in 2019.
37% : One of the factors behind Dream City's success and Paradise Valley's struggles: In Arizona, taxpayer dollars that previously went to public schools like the ones that closed are increasingly flowing to private schools - including those that adopt a right-wing philosophy.
36% : "At a certain point you'll hit a tipping point where public schools cannot afford to function.
36% : "Even as Arizona's voucher expansion is draining money from the state budget and diverting it to conservative religious schools, critics say one of the most damaging long-term impacts could be the impact on public schools.

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