ABC15 Investigator Melissa Blasius has built a reputation for asking tough questions and taking action on behalf of Arizona families.
New numbers from the Arizona Department of Education on Tuesday show enrollment in Arizona's universal school voucher program at nearly 68,500 kids.
The students who are receiving Empowerment Scholarship Account money this year have exceeded estimates and will put the program costs over the $624 million budget, according to the Arizona Governor's Office. In a statement Tuesday evening, Gov. Katie Hobbs cited recent reporting by the ABC15 Investigators on how some families are spending ESA money on ski passes, luxury car driving lessons, and pianos.
Last week, ABC15 analyzed data showing how families were spending hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars on private or parochial school tuition, home education supplies, and non-academic extras. Hobbs is now calling on the state superintendent, the state house speaker, and the state senate president to"join with bipartisan leaders to pass accountability measures and bring an end to this wasteful, runaway spending."
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