Florida’s Proposed Voucher Plan Could Drain Public Schools of Nearly $4 Billion

A proposed bill’s massive expansion of the state’s voucher program would come at the expense of public education. Critics also point out that many of the schools accepting taxpayer-funded scholarships are religious. Some cite religious beliefs to ban LGBTQ students.

The Florida House has announced plans to eliminate income requirements in the state’s two biggest scholarship programs. The move proposed by House Bill 1 would allow parents of any school-age child to receive state funds to pay for private school tuition or homeschooling services. 

The programs are now geared according to income eligibility or having children with special needs. However, the goal is to offer state funding to Florida families that make more than the current income limits and wish to send their children to private school, as well as to homeschoolers.

Sounding the Alarm

On its face, the proposed legislation may seem like a good idea. But critics are pointing out that the expansion will likely cost the public school system nearly $4 billion within five years. 

In fact, many opposed to the proposed legislation are sounding the alarm. That is because Florida’s Family Empowerment Scholarship (FES) voucher program, in place since 2019, already diverts about 10 percent of total state school aid to private education. If HB 1 passes, the income eligibility cap for FES scholarships would be wiped out, meaning that the wealthiest families in the state could be eligible to receive private school vouchers. 

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Simply put: The proposed legislation would implement a massive expansion of Florida’s voucher program at the expense of public education. 

Florida Gets ‘F’ Grade

But can Florida schools afford it?  In a national ranking of school funding fairness, Florida state received an “F” for its per-pupil funding. How bad is it? It is roughly $4,000 below the national average. And when it comes to funding distribution, high poverty districts in the Sunshine State are getting an average of $840 less per pupil, which earned the state another “F.”. 

For this reason, groups that support quality public education, like Moms Rising and Families for Strong Public Schools, strongly oppose the bill. 

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A Program for Exclusion?

Opponents of the bill show concern that private schools that take scholarships are not required to meet state standards when it comes to academics, teacher credentials or facilities. 

However, opponents of HB 1 claim it is not just a fiscal question. Those who are aware of Gov. DeSantis’ culture wars that specifically target the LGBTQ community, point out that many of the schools accepting taxpayer-funded scholarships are religious schools, and some cite religious beliefs to ban gay or trans students.

On the day the bill was filed, Andrew Spar, president of the Florida Education Association (FEA), the statewide teachers’ union, tweeted his strong opposition to the bill: “Regarding the newly filed HB 1, lawmakers should be focused on providing resources to the public schools that educate nearly 90 percent of Florida’s students, not on diverting more funds to unaccountable private and religious schools.”