Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) Program

The Arizona Department of Education (ADE) continues to administer the routine daily operations of the ESA Program (Quarterly Expense Reports, Class Wallet, Bank of America, etc.).

Please direct inquiries regarding daily operations of the ESA Program to ADE at (602) 364-1969 or create a Help Desk ticket.

The Arizona State Board of Education (SBE) is charged with the appeals process for ADE's ESA administrative decisions.

Please direct appeal process questions to [email protected]. Please provide a contact phone number in your email and the Project Director: ESA will reach out to answer your process questions.

Appeal Process

An ADE administrative decision served on or after January 1, 2021 may be appealed utilizing the process outlined below. Administrative decisions prior to January 1, 2021 must be appealed through ADE.

Please read the following prior to submitting the appeal form, located below:

Once an appeal has been submitted to the SBE offices, SBE staff must include all appeal parties (ADE and Parent/Guardian) in all appeal communications. SBE staff will meet this obligation by copying each party on all emails. Additionally, both parties must be included in all verbal conversations. If the need for a phone conference arises, SBE staff will make arrangements.

SBE staff may not provide legal advice or opinions regarding an appeal and/or reason for the appeal.

Parents/Guardians submitting appeal forms should not submit additional documentation other than what is listed in the Appeal Checklist. Parents/Guardians will have the opportunity to provide additional information regarding the appeal at the scheduled Hearing with Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH) or Informal Settlement Conference (ISC) with ADE.

Additional Information:

Once an appeal form is submitted, the Parent/Guardian will receive confirmation of receipt from SBE Staff with ADE copied to the email.

SBE Staff will schedule a hearing with an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ), through OAH, and will inform both parties (ADE and Parent/Guardian) of the date and time of the hearing.

Once the Notice of Hearing has been sent to both parties, the Parent/Guardian may request an ISC with ADE. The request must be in writing (email is appropriate) and filed with ADE no later than twenty (20) days prior to the hearing; please copy SBE on this written request. ADE shall hold an ISC within fifteen (15) days after receiving this request. Questions/Requests regarding an ISC should be directed to: [email protected].

SBE Staff will notify OAH of the Parent's/Guardian's ISC request. Once received, SBE will notify OAH of the outcome of the ISC.

If an ISC is not requested, both parties will proceed to the scheduled Hearing with OAH. At the conclusion of the hearing, the ALJ will provide a written decision to SBE Staff. SBE Staff will place the decision to the next State Board of Education agenda.