Sarah Mueller
The House is moving forward with legislation that would expand the state’s school voucher program and open scholarships to students from high-earning households.
House Education Committee Chair Jennifer Sullivan filed a strike-all amendment that would increase household income eligibility limits on the Florida Empowerment Scholarship and Florida Tax Credit. It would also increase the number of students able to receive scholarships.
Opponents questioned whether scholarships should expend when they lack of academic standards. Concerns also still exist about some religious schools with anti-LGBTQ policies that have students attending on tax credit scholarships.
The strike-all amendment to HB 7067 would raise the household income levels for the Family Empowerment Scholarship to up to 325% of the federal poverty level, up from 185%. The maximum number of students allowed to participate in the FES scholarship program would also increase annually by 1% of the state’s total public school student enrollment, up from the .25% currently allowed.
The Family Empowerment scholarship income limit would rise to 300%. If there’s still money available and more than 5% of scholarships are still available, students whose families make up to 325% of the federal poverty level would be eligible.
The amendment also removed the restriction on the Florida Tax Credit that families’ household incomes must be below 260% of the federal poverty level to get the scholarship. It would give priority to families whose incomes are 185% of the federal poverty limit.
The Family Empowerment Scholarship and the Tax Credit program, both of which receive state funding were created to help low-income students.
The current FES scholarship cap on students is 18,000. This bill could increase that to include 35,000 eligible students already on the Florida Tax Credit’s waitlist. The Empowerment scholarship, which was created last year, still has capacity.
With the 1% bump in student enrollment, a House staff analysis found the maximum number of students could reach 46,626 next year. That’s a growth of 28,902, instead of 7,225 if the .25% rate stayed in place.
Students renewing scholarships would be prioritized. Students from lower-income families would be given the next highest priority.
Even as lawmakers have moved to massively expand vouchers over the past 10 years, the percentage of students attending private schools hasn’t changed — a fact the Florida Education Association says shouldn’t be lost in discussions about school choice. What has changed is how taxpayers pay for those students to attend private schools. The state has spent $1 billion on the voucher program.
Sullivan fielded some questions about why the legislation doesn’t include academic standards. Rep. Javier Fernandez pointed out 54% of the participating schools in Miami-Dade County showed negative academic gains. Private school students are not required to take the same standardized tests that public school students must take and the results are not public. However, scholarship students in grades 3-10 are required to take standardized tests.
Democrats tried to attach several amendments, all of which failed. Rep. Margaret Good introduced an amendment to eliminate the automatic expansion of the FES scholarship.
“We are always increasing the number of people that can get the scholarship, even if there are not enough people who meet the income requirements,” she said. “Last year, when we passed this scholarship, we said that this was for low-income people. This was to provide opportunities to those who would not have it. This is not what this scholarship now does.”
Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith introduced three amendments, dealing with discrimination and bullying in private schools that accept voucher funding. One of his amendments would have required that schools make their policies public – whether they will or will not enroll or expel children who are gay, transgender or have parents who are. The Orlando Sentinel recently found that some parochial schools who get Tax Credit funding have similar policies.
Jacksonville Democratic Rep. Kim Daniels says that amendment is discriminatory. She says she’s been discriminated against by white and black Democrats in the legislature. She also argued that to restrict private schools from having such policies is discriminating against the schools for exercising their right to freedom of religion.
“I want to be sure this (amendment) doesn’t open doors for schools to be harassed,” she said.
That proposal failed, along with an amendment that called for a study of discrimination in student enrollment and conduct at private schools participating in a state scholarship program.
Smith says he withdrew this same amendment three weeks so behind the scene discussions with House and Senate leadership and the Department of Education could take place. He pleaded in vain for support.
“No one stood up in debate,” he said. “No one stood up because no one can defend why we can’t have a study. Members, please work with me.”
Smith also introduced an amendment to require voucher schools to adopt policies that bar discrimination against a student’s or parents’ sexual orientation, gender identity, gender, race, ethnicity, national origin or protective hairstyles. Protective hairstyles could include dreadlocks, braids, twists.
Smith brought up a voucher school with what he says is an anti-LGBTQ policy in his district.
“What if your child wants to go to Trinity Academy in Orlando because they have a state-award winning debate club,” he said. “They go there and find out students who say ‘I am gay’ will be expelled. School choice is meaningless if the school says, “We don’t take your kind.”
That amendment also failed. The bill is now in third reading. Sen. Manny Diaz is sponsoring the companion bill (SB 1220), which is on second reading.
