Arizona Parents Declare Hope for Universal ESAs as Save Our Schools Arizona Petition Numbers Come in Under Initial Estimate

An Arizona mother and leader of the “Decline to Sign Arizona” movement says there is hope for Arizona’s universal Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) law, as Save Our Schools Arizona (SOSAZ) may not have submitted enough valid signatures to prevent the law from going into effect.

“ESA’s for all coming soon! As we patiently await the official word from the Secretary of State’s office, Arizona parents declare the victory over this battle. The 88,866 signatures that were submitted are well below the minimum of 118,832,” tweeted Christine Accurso, the organizer of the movement supporting the ESA.

ESA's for all coming soon!
As we patiently await the official word from the Secretary of State's office, Arizona parents declare the victory over this battle. The 88,866 signatures that were submitted are well below the minimum of 118,832. #Power2Parents pic.twitter.com/DFHMfJlvQA

— Christine Accurso (@ArizonaCatholic) September 26, 2022

Accurso submitted a public records request to the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office (SOSO) after SOSAZ submitted the signatures, which turned out to be fewer than estimated. SOSAZ reported submitting 10,200 petitions supposedly containing 141,714 signatures. Beth Lewis, SOSAZ’s director, touted the effort as having generated more volunteer signatures than any other citizens referendum before.

However, after speaking with the SOSO, Accurso revealed that the actual number of petitions received is considerably lower: 8,175. In a followup conversation, the SOSO confirmed that no additional petitions had been submitted.

Scottsdale parent and pro-school choice advocate Kevin Gemeroy contends that SOSAZ’s claim of having nearly 142,000 signatures is nothing but a lie.

“There’s been a pattern of lies coming straight from @azbethlewi over the past 3 months. Her claim of nearly 142,000 signatures was just the latest. After a weekend of hard work at the Secretary of State’s office, the petition count is final and it’s only 8175 total,” Gemeroy wrote on Twitter.

Each petition form can house a maximum of 15 signatures. Yet, after sampling the petitions received through Accurso’s public records request, Gemeroy shared that each forum averaged around 10.2 signatures. He claimed this would put SOSAZ well below the needed 118,832 signatures.

There’s been a pattern of lies coming straight from @azbethlewis over the past 3 months. Her claim of nearly 142,000 signatures was just the latest. After a weekend of hard work at the Secretary of State’s office, the petition count is final and it’s only 8175 total. 1/

— Kevin Gemeroy (@kgemeroy) September 26, 2022

Moreover, the Goldwater Institute (GI) reaffirmed what the parents found, sharing that SOSAZ allegedly only submitted 88,866 signatures in total. The GI and the Center for Arizona Policy created the ESA program in Arizona over a decade ago. While it started small, the groups have advocated making them available to everyone.

“The preliminary results make it clear: Arizona families have rejected special interests’ attempts to take away their ability to choose the education that best meets their child’s unique needs,” said Victor Riches, president and CEO of the GI. “Families deserve the right to choose the best education option for their children, regardless of zip code, and now, they’ll once again be able to exercise that right by applying for ESAs.”

As Accurso said, the secretary of state’s office has yet to make an official announcement regarding the situation. As reported by The Arizona Sun Times, the universal ESA law was kept from going into effect as planned on September 24. If Save Our Schools Arizona presents the required amount of signatures, the law will be put to a vote on the 2024 ballot. The universal EAS application opened on August 16, and as of September 19, the Arizona Department of Education has received a reported 10,906 applications. Until the SOSO makes an official statement, many of these students’ potential funds are on hold.

However, should SOSAZ obtain a sufficient number of signatures, the fight would not end there. When SOSAZ initially submitted the signatures, Accurso affirmed that her group was “ready for the challenge.”

Save Our Schools AZ reports they have 141,714 signatures. Time for Phase 2! We are totally ready for the challenge! pic.twitter.com/X10xgXGVGh

— Christine Accurso (@ArizonaCatholic) September 23, 2022

Furthermore Arizona State Director of the American Federation for Children Steve Smith said the organization would fight for the families who need access to an ESA.

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Neil Jones is a reporter for The Arizona Sun Times and The Star News Network. Follow Neil on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Save Our Schools Arizona” by Christine Accurso.