Essentially, the bill allows a very small percentage of Florida students (18,000 kids) to attend private, charter and religious schools with $130 million in public tax dollars. This then leaves the state’s remaining 2.8 million other students in drastically underfunded school systems that already rank near the bottom in the country for per student spending, and are forced to comply with rigid accountability standards that only apply to them and not private schools.
But diverting $130 million from public schools is just the beginning.
The Florida Education Association predicts that the “Family Empowerment Scholarship” will ultimately drain close to $1 billion in funds statewide over the next five years. Adjusted for growth based on the state’s current voucher program, which has grown by 21 percent every year, Florida public schools are projected to lose more than $986 million over the next five years, says the FEA.
Of course, Tampa Bay schools will take a huge hit.
According to the FEA’s projections, Hillsborough County School District will likely lose $53,395,346 over the next five years, followed by Pinellas County Public Schools losing $36,125,431. All nearby counties combined, the Tampa Bay area is expected to be gouged to the tune of $125,455,531, or 12.5% of the state’s projected losses.
“This misguided and misappropriated legislation means that school buildings will continue to decay, threatening the health of our students and staff,” said FEA president Fedrick Ingram. “Classes will become even more overcrowded, making it harder for students to learn. As a result of this drain on school funds, Florida districts will be forced to cut back on music, art, Advanced Placement courses and other essential programs.”
You can see the full county-by-county list here.
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This article appears in May 16-23, 2019.