Two days after lawmakers received findings of a state audit, Sen. Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, on Friday filed a proposal aimed at improved “transparency and efficiency” in Florida’s school-voucher system.
The bill (SB 318), which is filed for the legislative session that will start Jan. 13, includes steps such as separating funding for what is known as the Family Empowerment Scholarship voucher program from money that goes to public schools.
Among other things, it calls for changing voucher payments from quarterly to monthly and requiring verification of student eligibility before each payment, according to a Senate summary of the bill.
The Senate Pre-K-12 Appropriations Committee, which includes Gaetz, on Wednesday received findings of an auditor general’s report.
In part, Gaetz pointed to the state not being able to track many students who receive vouchers and said $100 million that should have gone to public schools last year was paid for scholarships, according to the Senate summary.
The House Pre-K-12 Budget Subcommittee also has been looking at the issues.
