Arizona governor backs school voucher expansion

PHOENIX — Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey is apparently willing to risk further angering the state’s teachers by forcefully backing a measure that would massively expand the state’s private school voucher system.

The Republican governor, comfortable with a solid lead in his re-election bid, has come out strongly this month in support of the school voucher plan, which is on the ballot as Proposition 305.

The referendum was forced onto the ballot after teachers and public school supporters gathered enough signatures to block a Ducey-backed law passed by the GOP-controlled Legislature in 2017. Arizona teachers this spring incensed at low pay and years of school budget cuts revolted, with tens of thousands of instructors staging a six-day strike that shuttered public schools serving more than 1 million children. They went back to work after the Legislature approved a plan to provide a 20 percent pay raise by 2020 but did not address other school funding demands.

The primary backer of the voucher law, the American Federation for Children, has bowed out of the election, saying the expansion will help the school choice effort but the previous law would remain in place and increase availability. The national school choice group, formerly led by now-Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, lobbied fiercely for the law during the 2017 legislative session.

Ducey told reporters last week he was strongly backing approval of the measure. On Friday, he issued a statement saying the small existing program has brought big benefits and the 2017 law deserves a yes vote.

“Prop 305 is fiscally responsible, improves accountability and transparency, prioritizes low-income students and families and does not raise taxes,” he said. “When parents have options, kids win.”