School Choice

Tom Hudson of "The Florida Roundup" joined Houston Public Radio to discuss how Florida is serving as a model for school voucher programs.

All parents are eligible for public funds to help pay for nonpublic education since state lawmakers have dramatically expanded access to the scholarships in recent years.

"We can't continue to have a death by a thousand cuts,” said county superintendent Terry Connor, who had to eliminate some support staff this year.

Six weeks into the school year, families of special needs students still have not received school vouchers following a major expansion of the program.

Opponents of Florida's universal choice plan worry resegregation in public schools will only accelerate.

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law a bill that will expand school vouchers and school choice. Here's what it means.

It is also also is designed to allow home-schooled students to create “education savings accounts” that can be used for purchases beyond private-school tuition.

Democrats, teachers unions and public school districts say it will drain funding away from private and charter schools as students leave those schools.

The Senate could also approve a bill that would help shield businesses and insurance companies from lawsuits. The bills would then go to Gov. Ron DeSantis.

A Florida Senate cost estimate to create what’s called “universal choice” for Florida’s school voucher program has put the bill at $646 million.

It would make taxpayer-backed school vouchers eligible for any Florida student. The Senate could consider a similar bill next week.

The proposal lets all K-12 students in Florida become eligible for either a private school scholarship or an education savings account but hesitation about the cost is growing as other states with similar programs face big problems.