School Vouchers

The schools on the complaint against Step Up For Students say they have cut education programs their students rely on in the face of delayed voucher payments that have affected their operations — programs critical to their students with disabilities.

Step Up For Students, the entity being sued, manages half a million vouchers for students across the state. The dramatic increase in a short period of time resulted in some delays in distributing funds to students, families and schools.

The voucher legislation passed unanimously on Wednesday, a couple of months after an audit found a "myriad of accountability challenges that left a statewide funding shortfall and a system where funding did not follow the child.”

They include addressing school vouchers and cutting property taxes.

Private school owners continue to face financial struggles after the state dramatically expanded the school voucher program in 2023 and struggled to pay them in timely fashion.

He used a closed-door campaign stop in Sarasota to signal that education will be a central focus of his bid, calling for reforms to the state’s expanded school voucher system, significant teacher pay increases and a renewed investment in public schools.

"Florida Matters Live & Local" scrolls from social media and voucher mismanagement to underfunded state parks and a church leader's survival against the odds.

These vouchers — and other factors — have led to declining funding among the largest school districts. Teachers say they are feeling the effects.

The bill calls for changing voucher payments from quarterly to monthly and requiring verification of student eligibility before each payment

The audit looked at funding accountability challenges for the 2024-2025 school year.

Legislators grilled voucher funding executives and one state education department director in search for answers on how to avoid another multimillion-dollar crisis as the choice program expands.

Attorney General James Uthmeier's social media criticism came after it was reported two Hillsborough County Islamic schools accept voucher money.