Overview
- The Sept. 15 debate between Republican Kimberly Yee and Democrat Teresa Leyba Ruiz focused the contest on oversight of the Empowerment Scholarship Accounts, the state’s billion‑dollar voucher program.
- Both candidates pledged to end the administration’s policy of automatically approving ESA reimbursement claims under $2,000 and to change how low-dollar claims are audited.
- A May audit found nearly 2.3 million ESA transactions under $2,000 totaling about $653 million were auto‑processed and only about 6.5% of ESA purchases had been audited, fueling calls for tighter rules.
- Ruiz proposed a public transparency portal, independent audits and background or accountability checks for private providers, while Yee defended wide parental choice and favored real‑time financial controls and flagging suspicious purchases.
- Courts removed several ESA ballot measures this year, leaving the November superintendent election and the state legislature as the main routes for major ESA reforms while the next superintendent will also inherit teacher shortages and district funding shortfalls.