School choice opponents have long predicted that policies like Arizona’s Empowerment Scholarship Account program would destroy the public school system. For years, Gov. Katie Hobbs has warned that it would “decimate” the state budget and “bankrupt” the state, yet the program has a history of surplus and savings.
The choice deniers’ predictions have always proven false, but as more states follow Arizona’s lead by expanding eligibility for school choice to all K-12 students, the Chicken Littles are back to claiming that the sky is falling.
As evidence, some school choice critics are citing the Roosevelt Elementary School District in South Phoenix, which recently began the process of closing five schools. The school board voted in December to close the schools after the 2024-25 school year, citing a $5 million deficit and falling enrollment.
School choice…
