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Public commenter alleges misuse of Arizona voucher funds, urges board awareness
Summary
A public commenter at Tuesday's Fountain Hills USD board meeting said Arizona's ESA voucher program exceeded projected spending and alleged vouchers are being used for non-educational luxury purchases; board said the procedural answer about applying for the vacant seat will be handled as an action item later in the meeting.
During the public comment portion of the meeting a community member identifying with the group 'Save Our Schools' spoke about Arizona's Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program and broader K–12 funding.
The commenter said they intended to apply to fill a vacant board seat and asked whether the application should be submitted to the district or the county superintendent (board staff said the packet includes that process). The speaker then claimed the state's voucher program had already surpassed $1 billion in spending and listed alleged improper purchases made with ESA funds, including "diamonds, lingerie, Apple iPhones, appliances, and big-screen TVs." The commenter also asserted that dozens of Arizona public schools planned to close over the next two years; those claims were presented as the speaker's allegations and were not verified during the meeting.
Board leadership said the procedural question about how to apply for the vacant seat would be handled as an action-item process later in the meeting and encouraged the commenter to follow the posted application steps.
