BRIEF: School Choice in the States June 2016
LEGISLATION AND LITIGATION
Arizona – Michael Chartier @mchart1
The Arizona Auditor General released a performance audit on the nation’s first education savings accounts (ESAs): Empowerment Scholarship Accounts. The auditor’s main findings were that the Arizona Department of Education established methods for distributing the accounts and found a way to prevent and resolve fraud. Visit the Goldwater Institute’s informative post for more details here.
Nevada – Michael Chartier @mchart1
The Nevada Supreme Court set a date for oral arguments in Duncan v. Schwartz, one of two still-pending lawsuits against the state’s ESAs. The case will be heard on July 29, as will the other, which contains the injunction that is currently halting the program: Lopez v. Schwartz. Rulings for both cases are anticipated shortly thereafter. Learn more about litigation surrounding the Nevada ESA program here.
South Dakota – Brittany Corona @BrittanyLCorona
South Dakota’s legislature enacted the Partners in Education Tax Credit Program in 2016, and the program launches this fall. This tax-credit scholarship program is currently being implemented through a new scholarship granting organization called South Dakota Partners in Education.
Arkansas – Brittany Corona @BrittanyLCorona
Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson signed the state’s 2016–17 budget, which included funding for the Succeed Scholarship Program for Students with Disabilities, a statewide school voucher program for public school students with special needs and active-duty military families. The Reform Alliance is working with the Arkansas Department of Education to collect applications for up to 100 Arkansas students by the fall. Families may apply here.
IN OTHER NEWS
Friedman Foundation State Programs and Government Relations Director Brittany Corona presented school choice education reform to Sagamore Institute’s Young Leaders Program in Indianapolis, Indiana on June 14. Sagamore’s program is home to students from universities across the country. Corona also delivered a keynote address about education policy at the Young Conservative Leaders Conference in Denver, Colorado.
