School Voucher Delay Spurs Lawsuit From Goldwater Institute

A coalition led by the Goldwater Institute is in court challenging the delay in implementing the state's new school voucher program. The program was passed by the legislature and signed by Governor Ducey in April.

The plan, though, which would make all 1.1 million K-12 students in the state eligible for vouchers by 2022, is on hold as a result of a challenge that wants the issue put before the voters.

A group opposed to the voucher plan, saying it would harm public education, filed petition signatures earlier this month to do just that.

The Goldwater Institute, a conservative think tank, is leading a lawsuit challenging the halt, accusing voucher opponents of padding their petitions with fraudulent signatures. (For more information on this and other neighborhood stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app.)

"By filing thousands of extremely questionable signatures, those who oppose a wider range of educational options for our state’s kids tried to pull the wool over the eyes of Arizonans," Goldwater Institute President and CEO Victor Riches said in a statement. This delay has put many families' educational futures in limbo as the school year begins.

"This does a tremendous disservice to all of the parents and children whose main concern is not politics, but are simply seeking a better education that fits their needs and helps them achieve their dreams."

The Secretary of State's Office determined earlier this month that the voucher opponents, a group called Save Our Schools Arizona, had filed 108,224 qualifying signatures.

The office then took a sampling of those signatures - 5,412 of them - and sent them to county election offices across the state for further certification.

That process is still under way.

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