(UPDATED) Not a Good Beginning for Transparency at Tom Horne’s Department of Education

Remember when Republicans in Doug Ducey’s office and the Arizona Legislature wanted to take away control and oversight of the Empowerment Scholarship Program (E.S.A,) from Superintendent Kathy Hoffman because she actually believed in reporting who was applying and where the monies were being spent?

Well, those fears among the pro-plutocratic and Christian-Nationalist wing of the Republican Party may be coming to an end with the arrival of Tom Horne as Superintendent of Public Instruction.

In less than a week after taking office, his team has apparently decided to start making it difficult to see what goes on at the ESA-Voucher program.

They have (possibly temporarily) taken down a site that shows what expenses are allowed to be credited to ESA accounts.

It is possible this site may return with a revised list of allowable expenses.

Given the history of how families have used these funds for non-education-related purposes and also how the surge in applicants primarily comes from affluent private school-attending families that potentially threaten to take away funding from other critical areas like public education, it is either not a good sign that the site is down or what expenses, if the site comes back up, may be now deemed acceptable to apply for.

Commenting to the Yellow Sheet, Save Our Schools Leader Beth Lewis, a vocal opponent of ESA expansion, posted:

Horne is already slashing transparency from the ADE website. AZ taxpayers have a right to know where their dollars are going when it comes to ESA vouchers, which are being spent on things like $800 espresso machines & bounce houses under the guise of "educational expenses." pic.twitter.com/jQjwETuDPR

— Beth Lewis, SOSAZ 🆘 🏜🎓 (@AZBethLewis) January 7, 2023

Later, Ms. Lewis expanded on her comments to Blog for Arizona, relaying:

“Under newly expanded universal ESA vouchers, the ADE under Supt. Horne is now responsible for monitoring the massive program which has grown by 400% and covers more students than many school districts. It is incumbent on the Horne administration to provide transparency to Arizona taxpayers who want to know how their hard-earned dollars are being spent. The site that was immediately taken down by Horne after he took office was one of the few ways taxpayers could view what ESA expenditures were being approved with the nearly $450 million that has been grabbed by applicants at the expense of local public schools.

Previously listed on the website were $800 espresso machines, bounce houses, $600 Schwinn bicycles, $300 Lego sets, home gyms, snow-cone makers, memberships to local play places, myriad classes with uncertified tutors, and trips to the zoo and Sea World under the guise of “educational expenses.” While we understand Mr. Horne and his voucher-pushing special-interest cronies might not like the public to see these expenditures, we as taxpayers have the right to see where hundreds of millions of dollars that are being siphoned from public schools are going and we are demanding accountability.”

Incoming Legislative District 12 State Senator  and Democratic Assistant Leader Mitzi Epstein also responded to this development by commenting on this article:

“It is true that website changes are common and often done less than well when a new administration begins.  So for this specific point,  my concern is not about taking the webpage down now.  Rather my concern is to keep an eye out for what the new page will show, and to assure that the list of eligible expenses returns to the ADE website.  It’s a good thing for Arizonans that we have Beth Lewis and Save Our Schools Arizona keeping an eye on it.”

With regard to ESA’s, the scandal plagued Mr. Horne is not off to a good beginning at the start of his term.

First, he appointed the known voucher expansion right-wing zealot Christine Accurso to oversee the ESA program at the Department of Education.

Now, his team has apparently started the process of shutting down sites where people can see where the monies to fund these not so hidden tax cuts for the rich are going in these ESA accounts.

It is definitely not a good beginning for transparency at Tom Horne’s Department of Education.