The Orlando Sentinel reported that Governor Ron DeSantis is expected to support legislation that would effectively decimate Florida public schools. Florida Republicans want to siphon nearly $4 billion away from the state’s public schools by expanding Florida’s far-right school voucher program. Funding previously allocated for public schools would go towards private schools, religious schools, or homeschooling all of which “do not have to give students state tests, report their graduation rates or meet state standards when it comes to academics, teacher credentials or facilities.”
This extreme plan is top of their agenda and according to reporting from Florida Politics, Speaker of the Florida House Paul Renner “believes DeSantis, a school choice proponent, will back the measure.”
Experts say that this radical legislation would likely cost Florida schools “nearly $4 billion within five years.”
Orlando Sentinel: Florida’s voucher plan could cost public schools nearly $4 billion, report says
By Leslie Postal | 1/24/2023
Key Quotes:
-
“The proposed expansion of Florida’s voucher programs would inflict significant ‘fiscal damage’ on the state’s public schools, likely costing them nearly $4 billion within five years, according to a progressive state think tank.”
-
“The result would be a steep cut in the state education budget for public schools, according to the nonprofit Florida Policy Institute, which opposes the bill.”
-
“The private schools that take scholarships do not have to give students state tests, report their graduation rates or meet state standards when it comes to academics, teacher credentials or facilities. Many of the schools accepting taxpayer-funded scholarships are religious schools — most of them Christian but some Jewish and Islamic — and some cite religious beliefs for their decision to ban gay students.”
Published: Jan 25, 2023