Funding for Scholarship Programs Restored: Goldwater Institute Applauds House Speaker and State Superintendent

Today the Goldwater Institute applauded House Speaker Jim Weiers and Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne for re-funding the school voucher programs for students with disabilities and students in foster care. The funding was cut by the legislature in June pending an ongoing legal battle over the programs.

Families can apply for a voucher for this school year through the Arizona Department of Education. The Displaced Pupil Grant and the Scholarship for Pupils with Disabilities applications are both available online.

When both programs were passed by the legislature and signed by the Governor in 2006, the voucher for students in foster care was the first of its kind in the nation, and the voucher for students with disabilities was the nation's fourth. The ACLU and People for the American Way filed suit against the programs shortly after their implementation. The Arizona Supreme Court may decide whether to hear the case as early as September 23, 2008.

Click here to read a short article about the lawsuit. The Goldwater Institute is a research and litigation organization whose work is made possible by the generosity of its supporters.