ESA handbook approved, removing spending limits for purchases

PHOENIX — The Arizona State Board of Education approved the Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) handbook with an 8-1 vote on Monday, finalizing rules for the 2025–26 school year.

While the new handbook does not set spending limits for ESA purchases, it introduces a new framework that routes all purchase approvals through the Arizona Department of Education.

Other changes to the handbook include how purchases must be proven to be necessary. John Ward, the director of the voucher program, said the requirements for educators who can vouch for the purchase are now expanded.

“We are now allowing certified special education teachers to provide a letter indicating the need for an associated good or assistive technology,” Ward said during the state board meeting.

Impact of new Empowerment Scholarship Account handbook

Ward said the new framework gives parents more options to justify their expenses.

“If an expense comes in that, on the surface, may seem unreasonable or excessive, parents have the ability to submit curriculum, therapist letters or any other type of support that would allow the ESA staff to evaluate whether that particular item … is in fact required or good for that particular student’s educational needs,” Ward said.

The vote came after the decision was delayed nearly two months to allow for more public input.

Arizona State Schools Chief Tom Horne said sections of the handbook were rewritten after public town halls and conversations with Arizona lawmakers.

“We made a number of concessions, and while we didn’t reach a formal agreement, we are sticking to the concessions that we made,” Horne said.

Some parents oppose changes to Arizona school voucher program

Angela Faber is one of many parents who oppose the new handbook.

She called the changes “devastating” for students who rely on ESA funding.

“I’m opposing it because it’s really devastating for [special education] students. They’re not following the current statutes and rules. They’re just randomly making up denials,” she said.

Faber said the updated process makes it unnecessarily difficult to approve ESA purchases for students with disabilities, like her autistic daughter.

Faber also noted that because of the town hall earlier this month, the new handbook wasn’t available to parents until recently, making it difficult to review.

“There’s just no way that that that handbook should be approved at all,” she said.

Funding for this journalism is made possible by the Arizona Local News Foundation.

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