The Pima JTED Governing Board set the tuition for students who are currently on an Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) contract and choose to enroll in one of the District’s Central Campus Career and Technical Education programs to $1,645 per 0.25 average daily membership (ADM) beginning retroactively July 1, 2023.

ESAs, approved by the Arizona State Legislature in 2011, are administered by the Arizona Department of Education and funded by state tax dollars for parents to purchase educational services from qualified schools, education providers, or vendors. Because eligible students receive 90% of the State aid that would have gone to their school district or charter school, Pima JTED, which is a public school district, is obligated by law to charge tuition to prohibit families from receiving the benefits of public education and ESA funds for the student’s education simultaneously. 

Pima JTED’s 37 Central Campus Career and Technical Education programs range from 0.25 to 0.75 ADM depending on how many hours it takes to complete the material during a year, with most programs being 0.50 ADM. To date, Pima JTED has approximately 2,315 students enrolled in its Central Campus programs for the 2023-2024 school year, and 38 of those students are paying tuition due to being on an ESA contract.

Public school district governing boards in Arizona, including the Pima JTED Governing Board, have the discretion to set and/or change the tuition rates for ESA students who wish to receive educational services.