Sand: Iowa School Voucher Program to Cost $330 Million as Private School Enrollment Surges
The report says 78% of ESA spending went to families already expected to choose private schools.
- On Wednesday, Iowa Auditor Rob Sand released a report stating the state's Education Savings Account program cost taxpayers nearly $330 million this school year as private school enrollment surpassed state expectations.
- Governor Kim Reynolds signed the ESA program into law in 2023 to expand educational choice, yet Sand's analysis found 8,838 more students attended private schools than original projections anticipated for the 2025-2026 school year.
- Nearly 79% of program users were already projected to attend private schools, with Sand claiming roughly $260 million went toward families who could already afford private tuition without state assistance.
- The Iowa Department of Education criticized the findings as a 'policy advocacy brief,' arguing the report omits more than $37.9 million in public school funding directed to districts during fiscal year 2026.
- Sand noted that nonpublic schools have become 'dramatically less likely to receive accreditation from the state' since the program began, with only around 2% of newer schools choosing state oversight over independent agencies.
21 Articles
21 Articles
Auditor of State reports impact of ESAs
DES MOINES — Auditor of State Rob Sand released a report on the impact of Education Savings Accounts on Wednesday that states taxpayers in fiscal year 2026 paid an estimated $258.7 million to fund private school tuition.
Mason City Globe Gazette
Sand report questions impact of Iowa's ESA voucher program
A new report from Iowa State Auditor Rob Sand argues nearly 80 percent of ESA recipients would have attended private school without taxpayer-funded assistance. Gov. Kim Reynolds and Republican lawmakers reject the report as political.
State auditor: Iowa taxpayers spent $258 million on private school tuition
State Auditor Rob Sand released a report highlighting the cost of Iowa's education savings accounts program, which funded private school tuition using taxpayer money in fiscal year 2026.
Auditor's report sparks debate over school choice spending
DES MOINES, Iowa — On Wednesday, State Auditor Rob Sand released a report on the cost of the state's Education Savings Account program, data on private school growth, and the number of accredited non-public schools. Taxpayer Cost The Legislative Services Agency is a nonpartisan group that analyzes the state budget and provides fiscal notes. It [...]
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