A pro-LGBT group is taking advantage of a GOP-sponsored law by using school-choice vouchers to fund a new “queer” middle school in America’s fifth-largest city.
Arizona’s Empowerment Scholarship Account program, launched in 2011, is a public fund intended to support students attending low-rated schools by giving them vouchers to pay for alternatives, such as private school, homeschooling and tutoring.
The program, which serves over 60,000 children, was financially boosted by Republican lawmakers last year, with many championing it as a victory for educational freedom.
One group, however, is drawing controversy for using the vouchers to fund the new Queer Blended Learning Center in downtown Phoenix.
Beginning in August, the school will be held at the headquarters of One-N-Ten — a nonprofit dedicated to serving LGBT youth.
“Frankly, sixth, seventh and eighth grades were some of the hardest years for me. I changed schools every single school year,” One-N-Ten CEO Nate Rhoton told AZ Family.
“Today, if I were in junior high, I would love to be able to live my full, authentic self,” he said.
The micro-school is meant to be a “safe, educational space” for LGBT-identifying middle school-aged children, but all children are allowed, no matter their sexual orientation, AZ Family reported.
“We just had this population of sixth, seventh and eighth graders that could really benefit from a safe space to be able to really have exceptional education while also having education that pertains to their own identity,” said Clayton Davenport, One-N-Ten’s director of development and marketing, according to The Blaze.
“Being able to raise their hands and ask their questions in a safe, affirming environment is going to be key to their mental health and educational advancement,” Davenport said.
QBLC is known as a “micro-school” because they currently only have one teacher and eight students.
Curriculum will be provided by Spark Community Schools and will include all the basics: reading, writing, math, science, history and the like — with an emphasis on LGBT topics.
“Specifically,” this means teaching “culturally responsive curriculum in civics — LGBTQ history,” Katrina Thurman, president of Spark Community Schools, told AZ Family, adding that such stories will be told from “every perspective and point of view.”
“And then, at the end of the day, we end with project-based learning, which is something that has been proven to take what you learned in those core subjects and really make it relevant,” Thurman said.
The cost of tuition to attend the private school is in line with the state’s average voucher payout.
While ESA voucher award amounts vary, the typical payout is around $7,000.
Voucher awards can range from $4,000 to over $43,000, according to AZ Central. The amount ultimately depends on the needs of the child. Children with disabilities typically receive the most, the outlet reported.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
