NE Valley Times

Arizona Freedom Caucus member Rep. Alexander Kolodin reaffirms his endorsement of education savings accounts (ESAs) following the Pima County Democratic Party's revealed plan to eliminate school choice, as indicated in a since-deleted post on the X platform.

"Congrats to Rachel Jones , the newest member of House Education! When she says ESAs are going away over her dead body she means it! Arizona Freedom Caucus is dedicated to protecting ESAs and opportunity for the next generation of AZ students at all costs!", said Alexander Kolodin.

"Let's make this a goal here in Arizona. Let's kill school choice-- send it to the grave," said the Pima County Democratic Party's post, which was shared by Arizona Senator Justine Wadsack before it was deleted. The organization was responding to breaking news that the state of Illinois had discontinued its school choice program, clearly expressing their desire to do the same thing in Arizona, according to the X platform.

"Pima County Democratic Party just exposed their radical agenda against children & parents rights!" declared Wadsack in her post. "Democrats want to 'Kill School Choice' which forces children to attend failing D & F rated public schools." Wadsack went on to describe state statistics, alleging that the majority of public school students in the state cannot perform at grade level in math or English, according to the X platform.

Arizona continues to lead as the number 1 state for education choice in the country for two years running and secures the number 2 spot for overall education freedom. The state fosters diverse learning environments, including private, charter, homeschooling, and district schools. Arizona provides ESAs for all grades and provides accessibility for all families. The ESA program in this state has an enrollment of 70,000 students, surpassing all other states, according to Goldwater Institute.

The Arizona ESA program introduced in 2011 initially had stringent criteria, covering just 23% of students. These criteria included students with disabilities, those in failing public schools, wards of the court and similar categories. A recent comprehensive school choice bill significantly broadened ESA access, making it available to all students, according to Kindled.

A survey commissioned by the "yes. every kid. foundation" in Aug. showed that 63% of Arizona voters are in favor of school choice. 78% of Republicans and 61% of Independents express support, while among Democrats, 48% favor school choice. The survey also highlights that 78% of parents support this program. However, Hobbs faces limited support within the state, with an approval rating of only 34%, according to yes. every kid. foundation.