Q&A Of The Day – How Florida’s School Choice Program Works
Each day I feature a listener question sent by one of these methods.
Email: brianmudd@iheartmedia.com
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Today’s entry: You caught my attention when you mentioned Florida’s expanded voucher program will now include families who earn up to $100,000. I’d like more information on how it works. My family may be interested in using it.
Bottom Line: The maximum income threshold was one of three key areas of expansion in HB 7045, aka Florida’s school choice bill. The three new additions... The inclusion of children of military families, special needs students and the expansion of income eligibility from a maximum of $83,688 last year for families of four, to $99,375 this year. The scholarships currently range from $6,775 in value to $7,250. In a change, all state scholarships are going to be handled by the state’s Family Empowerment Scholarship Program, which had been capped at 46,000 students previously. Florida’s school voucher program was already the largest in the country. The $200 million expansion signed into law by Governor DeSantis will allow approximately 61,000 additional students to participate for the upcoming school year.
The priority for access occurs for those on the lowest end of the socioeconomic spectrum. Under the current program families earning $47,638 or less are given first priority, with a second priority tier at $77,250 and if any money is left all others eligible. Under the new law, similar consideration is likely with adjusted tiers to reflect the change in income eligibility. Also, priority will be given to military families and special needs students within the income tiers. As to whether families who earn, say $99,000 per year, will be able to utilize the program will depend on the demand from those who are prioritized first.
Demand has typically outstripped supply for the school voucher program, however the expansion to allow for an additional 61,000 students will help considerably. If you’re eligible and interested, you should look to fill out the application as soon as it’s available. The new law with the expansion takes effect July 1st.
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