The Fountain Hills Democratic Club met Thursday, March 16, with about 100 members in attendance. The theme of the evening was education, a topic front and center in state and national debates. The topics included the state of Fountain Hills schools and the impact the failed bond override and expanded vouchers (ESAs) have had on public education.

First to speak were Rachel Clawson and Nicky Indicavitch from Save our Schools Arizona, a non-partisan group supporting strong public schools in the state. They gave an overview of the current state of Arizona schools. Arizona rates 47th in school spending today, compared to New Mexico at 29th. Despite this lack of funding, Arizona public school students test about in the middle of students across the country, according to the speakers.

Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (vouchers), or ESAs, were also explained.

“They give money with little to no academic accountability, and 80% of ESAs go to affluent parents who are already homeschooling or sending their kids to private schools,” reads a press release from the club. “They explained there are few guidelines and little oversight of how the money is spent. Some acceptable expenses include whale watching trips, espresso machines, horseback riding lessons and membership in play centers like Uptown Jungle in Peoria. The original budget of $30 million has grown to $376 million. This increased spending has to be paid for somewhere, and most likely it will come out of public school funding.”

Finally, the speakers emphasized that private and micro-schools are under no obligation to take students with learning or other disabilities, and they can “expel” a student by not allowing that student back the next year if it is costing them too much to educate the student.

“It is billed as ‘school choice,’ when in reality it is the schools who get the choice of picking the cream of the crop, leaving students who require the most attention with no choice except to stay where they are,” the press release continued. “Rachel and Nicky gave the audience a wide variety of tools to make their voice heard at the local and state level.”

Next to speak were Dr. Wendy Barnard and her husband, Rich. Wendy was on the governing board of the Fountain Hills Unified School District up until last year, and Rich has been active in public school extracurricular sports coaching. They described the markedly different attitude toward public education they encountered when moving to Arizona contrasted with the states where they grew up.

“They emphasized that the rejection by voters of the $20 million bond and the $750,000 DAA (District Assistance Override) has had a deleterious effect on the school, reducing the ability to buy software, hardware, online resources and books, building improvements, transportation and other equipment,” the press release states. “As there was no money to fix the football field, the funds had to be raised in an effort spearheaded by NFL coach and Fountain Hills resident Gary Zauner. Dr. Barnard emphasized this a la carte, GoFundMe style of fundraising is unsustainable, especially with big-ticket items like new air conditioning systems and failing water mains.”

The final two speakers were Lillian Acker of the Fountain Hills School Board and Robb Vaules. Acker is a new member on the board and Vaules was a candidate for Scottsdale School Board last year.

“Both emphasized how dangerous it is that the very concept of public education is under attack, and that people without high school educations (and fiercely opposed to public education as a basic proposition) are sitting on large school boards like the one in Scottsdale,” the press release concluded. “Vaules fiercely defended Scottsdale School Board Superintendent Scott Menzel and thinks he will remain in his position.”