1. United States
2. Utah
3. Letter

School voucher programs across the country are failing to provide any meaningful accountability or transparency on how public funds are being spent by private schools. These voucher schemes are diverting desperately needed resources away from public schools that serve the vast majority of students. Rather than benefiting underprivileged families as claimed, vouchers are being used overwhelmingly by those already sending their children to private institutions, amounting to a government subsidy for the wealthy. In Arizona, the recklessly expanded Empowerment Scholarship Account program is projected to cost nearly $1 billion next year, with over $300 million completely unbudgeted. Funds have been misused for dubious "educational" expenses like kayaking lessons and home gyms. Yet there are no requirements for private voucher schools to disclose financial information, operating procedures, or student performance data. This utter lack of oversight is unacceptable for public dollars. Nationwide, the percentage of voucher recipients coming from families already enrolled in private schools is staggeringly high - 80% in Arizona, 55% in Ohio after an expansion, and 66% in Iowa's new program. Clearly, vouchers are not achieving their stated goal of aiding disadvantaged students access better schooling. Instead, they are siphoning money away from the public education system that serves 90% of American children, including those from low-income households. I urge you to block any further expansion of unaccountable voucher schemes that defund public schools. Taxpayer money must be invested in strengthening and improving the institutions that educate the vast majority of our students, not diverted to opaque private interests with no financial or academic oversight. Our children's futures depend on upholding a strong, equitable system of public education for all.