The early-September message from the Governor’s Office was adamant: More than 2,000 applications for vouchers to move students out of schools with COVID-19 restrictions was clear evidence that Arizona families wanted school choice. Gov. Doug Ducey earmarked $10 million in federal funds for the vouchers and said “we’re going to bolster it up to meet the need” of so many applications. Three months later, the Governor’s Office has approved just 93 of those applications. Of the millions of dollars available, parents have spent less than $50,000 through the controversial program, a review by The Arizona Republic shows.
