Artificial intelligence coming to Arizona’s ESA school voucher system

Arizona’s Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) school voucher system is getting some technical upgrades with the help of artificial intelligence.

Arizona Treasurer Kimberly Yee announced Tuesday she is working with the ESA program’s financial vendor to add new technology to its platform.

“These new technology enhancements, delivered at no additional cost to taxpayers, will improve the user experience for ESA families, strengthen financial accountability and support the continued growth of Arizona’s nationally recognized Empowerment Scholarship Account program,” Yee said in a statement.

The Arizona Treasurer’s Office is responsible for the financial aspects of the ESA program, which is operated by the state Department of Education.

In March, Yee announced her office would review the ESA marketplace platform and ask program vendors for suggestions on how to improve the payment system.

What is Arizona’s ESA program?

The ESA program allows families to use education tax dollars for alternative learning options like private school or homeschool. More than 100,000 students were enrolled in the voucher program during the last school year.

Arizona’s ESA system has been criticized for lacking oversight and allegedly issuing payments for unallowable and potentially fraudulent purchases.

“By leveraging advanced technology and AI-driven capabilities, we are providing better service to families while promoting transparency and responsible stewardship of public funds,” said Yee, who is running against incumbent Superintending of Public Instruction Tom Horne in the upcoming Republican primary election.

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

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