After an annual gathering of school choice boosters Thursday, Gov. Doug Ducey said he would continue to champion the cause of using state tax money for charter, private and home-schooling, despite continued funding issues for public schools in the state.
"We've been a leader in school choice,” Ducey said. “We're going to continue to be a leader in school choice. What I want a parent to be able to do is send a child to the school of their choice. And when we have opportunities to improve on that, we're going to do that."
Ducey praised school choice advocates gathered at the Capitol and then defended state funding to private schools that critics said siphons cash from public schools.
"Sometimes it's a home school. Sometimes it's an alternative to that," Ducey said. "But isn't it about what the parent wants and what's best for the child? Isn't that where we should start with a discussion in education?"
The governor also said it’s irrelevant that public money can be used to send children to parochial schools where religion can be part of instruction.
Ducey noted he's pushing for more money for public schools. But he declined to take a stand on an emerging proposal to expand the state's private school voucher program to all 1.1 million Arizona students.
Democratic state Sen. Steve Farley said yearly efforts to boost choice are siphoning cash from public schools.
Republican state Sen. Debbie Lesko is expected to introduce a voucher expansion bill next week.