Frequently Searched

Arizona Lawmakers Pass Bill to Make Students on Reservations Eligible for ‘Empowerment Scholarship Accounts’

April 3, 2015

Phoenix—Today the Arizona legislature passed SB 1332, a bill to make all students living on Native American Reservations eligible for the state’s “Empowerment Scholarship Account” program. The bill will allow approximately 55,000 students to use their share of state school funding on educational services that best meet their needs. The bill passed with bipartisan support and was sponsored by Senator Carlyle Begay, a Democrat whose district includes parts of the Navajo and Hopi reservations.

“Congratulations to Senator Begay on this monumental achievement for native American students,” said Jonathan Butcher, the Goldwater Institute’s education policy director. “Native American students should have access to a great education, just like every other student in Arizona. It’s past time they are given the opportunity to attend a school that will best meet their needs.”

Native American students have some of the lowest educational attainment outcomes of any demographic group. They scored lowest on the most recent AIMS test and they have the lowest graduation rate. This bill is aimed at giving Native American students the opportunity to attend schools, or customize their education through online learning, that will help boost student learning and graduation rates.

Arizona’s Empowerment Scholarship Account program has been in place for four school years. It provides students with a portion of their state school funding in a bank account that can be used on a variety of educational products and services, including tutoring, educational therapies, and private school tuition. The Goldwater Institute developed the concept and worked with lawmakers and several other organizations to craft the program.

The program has been limited to students with special needs, students in failing schools, adopted children, and students in active-duty military families. Approximately 1,250 families are using the accounts this year. Arizona and Florida are the only states with these programs in place now, but Mississippi lawmakers just passed a similar bill a few days ago.

“Every child deserves an education that meets his or her needs. And parents need to be empowered to choose what’s best for their children. With an Empowerment Scholarship Account, parents can have a flexible approach to their child’s learning. And that will give every child the chance to reach his or her full potential. We are thrilled to see this important program become available to all students on reservations,” said Butcher.

###

 

 

More on this issue

Donate Now

Help all Americans live freer, happier lives. Join the Goldwater Institute as we defend and strengthen freedom in all 50 states.

Donate Now

Since 1988, the Goldwater Institute has been in the liberty business — defending and promoting freedom, and achieving more than 400 victories in all 50 states. Donate today to help support our mission.

We Protect Your Rights

Our attorneys defend individual rights and protect those who cannot protect themselves.

Need Help? Submit a case.

Get Connected to Goldwater

Sign up for the latest news, event updates, and more.

Wait! Don’t close this yet!

We are grateful for your support of the Goldwater Institute’s efforts to advance and defend liberty throughout the United States. For over 36 years, we’ve been defending the rights of Americans to live their lives free from government interference.

And Goldwater is unique in that we direct our efforts to the 50 states where we introduce and advance innovative ideas that expand freedom. And we fight in courtrooms and capitals nationwide to defend individual liberty.

In 2024 alone, we scored over 50 policy and litigation victories defending liberty!

And that’s just the beginning.

Our plans for 2025 include:

  • Stopping pernicious DEI and other woke programs in America’s universities.
  • Ensuring that patients suffering from rare and terminal diseases have access to cutting-edge, lifesaving medical treatments, without having to first seek permission from the government.
  • Defending parental rights across the United States so that parents can send their kids to the school that best fits their needs, free from leftist indoctrination.
  • Eliminating government interference in the fundamental right of individuals to own property and use it as they see fit.
  • And much, much more

We seek to restore the presumption of liberty; that people are free to act without first asking permission from the government.

But we cannot do this without you. Will you join us as we fight to preserve and advance liberty throughout the country? As we seek new and innovative ways to defend freedom in all 50 states?

And there’s great news: Thanks to a generous Goldwater supporter, your donation today will be doubled!

So please, join us in fighting to advance liberty and score real wins for freedom from coast to coast!