Recent lawsuits have
exposed serious failings by a school affiliated with Dream City Church, where an adult coach groomed a minor. This case highlights a glaring gap: when taxpayer-funded resources (via ESA vouchers) are allocated to private institutions or service providers,
children's safety cannot be assumed.
It is crucial that every provider who receives funds through the Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) voucher program or works with ESA-supported students is
held to the same rigorous background check and oversight standards as public school employees. In order to ensure the safety of the children in these programs, there should be:
- Mandatory, statewide criminal background checks (including sex offender registry and child abuse registry screenings) for all persons employed by, contracted with, or volunteering for any ESA voucher-funded school or service provider.
- Ongoing oversight: annual verification of credentials, misconduct reports, and a mechanism for parents or districts to flag concerns.
- Transparency: Public posting of provider compliance and oversight metrics (how many background checks, how many flagged, how many removed).
- Equal safeguards: If public school students are protected by these checks, so must be students served under ESA vouchers by private providers.
Sign and tell the Superintendent of Public Instruction and the Arizona Department of Education it's time to take action before additional children are placed at risk.Dear Mr. Horne,
We, the undersigned residents, parents, educators, and community members of Arizona, call on the Superintendent of Public Instruction and the Arizona Department of Education to ensure that every provider who receives funds through the Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) voucher program or works with ESA-supported students is held to the same rigorous background check and oversight standards as public-school employees.
Recent lawsuits have exposed serious failings by a school affiliated with Dream City Church, where an adult coach groomed a minor. This case highlights a glaring gap: when taxpayer-funded resources (via ESA vouchers) are allocated to private institutions or service providers, children's safety cannot be assumed.
Therefore, we demand:
- Mandatory, statewide criminal background checks (including sex offender registry and child-abuse registry screenings) for all persons employed by, contracted with, or volunteering for any ESA voucher-funded school or service provider.
- Ongoing oversight: annual verification of credentials, misconduct reports, and a mechanism for parents or districts to flag concerns.
- Transparency: Public posting of provider compliance and oversight metrics (how many background checks, how many flagged, how many removed).
- Equal safeguards: If public-school students are protected by these checks, so must be students served under ESA vouchers by private providers.
We ask that you initiate rulemaking or adoption of policy to close this gap before additional children are placed at risk.
Sincerely,
[Name]
