Governor signs provision to expand school voucher system
Governor Rick Scott signed a flurry of bills into law on June 20, with one of the most controversial and far reaching pieces of legislation expanding eligibility for a Florida school voucher program.
Changes to the system would open the voucher program up to a larger participant pool.
The voucher provisions are only a portion of the education bill (SB 850), which is 140 pages long. The bill also provided help for families with disabled children in paying for educational services.
Educators fear that the bill will result in those who can do so abandoning public schools for private ones, taking school tax funding with them. Concerned parents of older students may wish to consider looking into high school tutoring in South Brandon, to ensure that their children remain competitive for college admission.
Changes made by SB 850 will enable middle class families to join those on a lower income in qualifying for vouchers. Whereas the current annual income limit is $43,568, under the new law the limit jumps to $62,010.
While advocates tout that the bill as being beneficial to students by giving parents more control over their child’s education, opponents see matters differently. The Florida Education Association’s view is that private schools are not held to the same standards as public schools, which can lose funding from the state if they do not measure up.
Those seizing the opportunity to send their children to private school might want to consider hiring a tutoring service to help South Brandon students make the transition smoothly.
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