Mesa: Arizona Mom Pleads Guilty to ESA Fraud, Igniting Debate Over Billion-Dollar Program Oversight

State auditors catch out-of-state ESA recipient

An Arizona mother pleaded guilty to collecting education savings account funds after moving to Texas, the latest case raising questions about oversight of the state's $1 billion ESA program.

Amanda Elizabeth Maestas entered a guilty plea with the Attorney General's Office and must pay $28,433.19 in restitution to the ESA Program. She will also serve a term of supervised probation, according to the Arizona Attorney General's Office.

State education auditors spotted the problem and referred the case to prosecutors. Maestas continued collecting ESA voucher money for her child after relocating out of state.

Superintendent defends prosecutions

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne said Maestas was enrolled in the ESA program and was receiving funds while living in Arizona.

"She moved to Texas and she didn't bother to tell us and so she kept getting ESA money," Horne said.

Horne said auditors in his department tracked down Maestas.

"Yeah we found her," Horne said.

Horne said prosecutions are necessary to discourage fraud in the program.

"We need prosecutions to discourage this kind of thing," he said.

Horne announced a new policy that takes effect next year. ESA participants will be required to prove Arizona residency every single year.

Critics say program remains vulnerable

Raquel Mamani, coordinator for the public school advocacy group Save Our Schools, said the program remains vulnerable to fraud despite enforcement actions.

"The superintendent of public instruction who is currently in office spends a whole awful lot of time talking about how there's no fraud going on. But time after time, the audits show that there is a lot of fraud going on," Mamani said.

Mamani said the Legislature could fix vulnerabilities in the universal ESA program quickly if it chose to act.

"The legislature could have fix this universal part of the ESA program if they wanted to in one day, but they have refused to make any common sense, fixes or changes that could, save taxpayers a lot of money," Mamani said.

Pattern of fraud cases

Maestas is not the first person charged with defrauding Arizona's ESA program. In 2024, three Phoenix women were charged with defrauding the program out of more than $80,000. That same year, two people living out of state obtained more than $110,000 after applying for children that did not exist.

Maestas is due in Arizona court next month to be sentenced to probation, according to the Attorney General's Office.

The case comes as Mesa families and advocates across the state continue to debate the scope and oversight of Arizona's education savings account system.