Florida House proposes major expansion of school choice vouchers - Jacksonville Business Journal

By Ryan Dailey – News Service of FloridaCalling it a move toward “universal choice,” House Speaker Paul Renner on Thursday announced a proposal that would make every student in Florida eligible for school vouchers — a move that Democrats blasted as a Republican attack on public education.

“In terms of the ESA , we’ve limited it in some fashion to things that are clearly in the educational lane. So, some states have opened that up to purchasing uniforms and doing other things that don’t have an educational purpose. So, the bill limits it to things that, we would all agree on, have an educational purpose,” Renner, R-Palm Coast, said during a news conference to announce the legislation.

“This sets our state backwards. This is school choice for schools and not for Florida families. This will also probably leave a price tag for the difference that the parents must pay, when the voucher doesn’t cover the full cost of tuition,” Driskell told reporters. Eligibility requirements in current voucher programs, such as the Family Empowerment Scholarship program and the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship program, are typically based on the income of recipients. Those two voucher programs, which included about 188,000 students during the 2021-22 school year, have an income limit of $111,000 for a family of four.

“I just don’t think it’s morally acceptable for us to do what we’ve been doing, which is … some are in, some are out,” Renner said of the waiting list. “We’re picking winners and losers there. And these are kids that need early intervention.”

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