American education is looking to Arizona for a crucial next step in the country's school choice saga. A universal voucher bill, which would allow every child regardless of income financial support to attend nonpublic schools, has already passed Arizona's Senate and awaits a decisive vote in the House of Representatives.
Publicly-funded school choice programs have become a standard practice for several states, such as Florida, Maine, Ohio, Vermont, and Wisconsin. However, they are limited to a small percentage of the population, or reserved for low-income students, or granted to rural children living at a great distance from a public school.
Arizona's program is different. It would provide vouchers of $3,500 a year for elementary schoolers and $4,500 for high schoolers. Passing this bill would go a long way toward eliminating the bias against low- and moderate-income families that cannot afford to send their children to the school of their choice.
The House vote, perhaps next week, expects to be close. A major precedent for education freedom lies at stake.
