School Vouchers

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

This week on The Florida Roundup, we look at Texas’ foray into universal school vouchers; how Florida’s voucher program is going; and mounting tensions between condo owners and condo board associations in the wake of condo reforms.

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.

The school choice debate has grown over the years. Now, some U.S. legislators are proposing a nationwide voucher program. Critics say the bill has flaws.

Gov. Ron DeSantis and Education Commissioner Manny Diaz have pointed to school choice as a reason that students have improved on the most recent statewide assessment of skill.

Gov. Ron DeSantis has asked for a historic $29.7 billion for public education. Florida's largest teachers union, however, is concerned about the increase per pupil and added funds for the state's voucher program.

The Florida Policy Institute says the vouchers cost the state $4 billion this school year.

The news comes almost two years after a universal voucher program took effect in the state.

Thousands of students have left Florida’s public schools amid an explosive growth in school choice. Now districts are reckoning with the financial realities of empty seats in aging classrooms.

But whether the state can take action and what that action might be are unclear

More than 386,000 applications for the upcoming school year have been submitted, surpassing the number of vouchers awarded last school year.

A state voucher program that began in the 2023-2024 school year is on pace to double in size — at least — as applications roll in from families who educate children at home and are seeking funds to make a range of purchases.