Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis recently signed a school choice bill that allows for universal eligibility for Florida's school choice program.
With the signing of the new bill, DeSantis said that Florida cements itself as the nation's leader in the education choice movement.
"Yesterday, I signed legislation expanding school choice scholarship eligibility to every student in the state," DeSantis wrote in a March 28 Twitter post. "Between private scholarships, charter schools, and district choice programs, Florida already has 1.3M students attending schools of their choosing. This legislation takes education freedom to the next level and centers Florida as the nation’s leader in education choice."
The Heritage Foundation ranks Florida first in "education freedom" and third in "school choice rank." Indiana is second and Arizona is first in school choice rank.
House Bill 1 eliminates financial restrictions for families who wish to apply for the scholarship program, a recent news release from DeSantis' office said. There are 1.3 million Florida students currently enrolled, more than the enrollment of 35 other states.
“This is a monumental day in Florida history,” Manny Diaz Jr., commissioner of Education, said in the release. “Thanks to Governor DeSantis and the legislature, we continue to be the undisputed leader in school choice. Florida will always make good on our promise to ensure every single child has access to a world-class education.”
Sen. Kathleen Passidomo (R-Dist. 28), state Senate president, weighed in on the new legislation.
“The goal of making school choice a reality for every child across our great state has been a long time coming, and with the steadfast resolve and leadership of Governor DeSantis, Speaker Renner, Senator Simon, Rep. Tuck, and many others, today is the day school choice is here for every Florida family,” Passidomo said in the release. “Additionally, this bill reduces some of the outdated, unnecessary, and quite frankly, burdensome regulations public schools have to abide by. By reducing red tape that burdens our traditional public schools, these institutions, which have served our communities for generations, will have a meaningful chance to compete right alongside other school choice options.”
House Bill 1 is "model education freedom legislation," said Keri D. Ingraham of the Discovery Institute. Families have the option to apply for an $8,000 grant per student per school year.
"Funds can be used toward private school tuition and fees, transportation to a public school if outside of the student’s assigned school, curriculum and instructional material including digital devices, tuition and fees for postsecondary education, private tutoring, online classes, nationally standardized test fees, special needs therapy, homeschooling expenses, and preapprenticeship programs," she said in a release from the institute.
The Florida Senate issued a press release on the passage of the bill.
"HB 1 contains a comprehensive package of innovations that promote parental involvement and customized K-12 education in Florida," the release said. "The legislation empowers parents to guide their children’s education by providing for an Education Savings Account [ESA] for every student in the K-12 system. Incorporating recommendations from the Florida Association of District School Superintendents, the bill also takes the first step towards reducing onerous and excessive regulations on public schools."
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush also commented on the bill.
"Florida has created the most expansive parental choice program in the country — one that boldly prioritizes millions of students over outdated systems, unlocks options for all families, ends the frustration of waitlist and empowers parents to make decisions based on their child’s unique learning needs, regardless of their income or zip code," he said in the institute’s release.
Bush recently issued a statement concerning Texas' debate on school choice, noting that ESAs could prove beneficial for Texas.
"Expanding access to education opportunity has been shown, time and again, to improve student engagement, academic achievement and overall success," he said in the statement, quoted by the Austin Journal.