Florida Lawmakers Voiceโค Concerns Over Accountability in School Voucher Program
TALLAHASSEE, FL – Florida lawmakers expressed frustration Wednesdayโค over difficulties tracking how state funds are beingโ usedโ within the state’s rapidly expanding school voucher program, raising questions โฃabout accountability for scholarshipโ funding organizations. The concerns center on challenges in assigning state identification numbers to students new to the public school system who โคreceive vouchers, and inconsistencies in data tracking between districts.
Florida considerably broadened its voucher program in 2023, making all students eligible for taxpayer-financed vouchers to attend private schools through theโข Family Empowerment Scholarships. The program is funded โฃthrough both taxpayer dollarsโ and the Florida Tax Credit program, which relies on private corporate donations. House Bill 1, signed into โขlaw in 2023, prioritizes the use of tax credit funds before allocated legislative funding.
The issue arose during a recent discussion whereโค representatives from Scholarship Funding Organizations โข(SFOs) detailed their processes for verifying student enrollment. Lawmakers learned that students โคwhoโฃ have never โbeen enrolled inโฃ a public school -โ and therefore lack a state ID โขnumber – face a complex process to obtainโ one, sometimes requiring a withdrawal request from theirโ zoned district despite never โขhaving โฃattended.
“There’sโ no accountability,” Rep. Ashley Gantt, D-Miami, told the โคUSA TODAY NETWORK – Florida.”Millions ofโค dollars are being paid to these scholarship organizations, and there is zero accountability when they’re required โขto track students the same way โpublic schools are required.”
Rep. Toby Overdorf, R-Palm City, questioned the complexity of the system, asking, โ”How longโค does it take to change a form so the numbers follow theโค student and go to eachโข department?”
SFO representatives stated they crosscheck scholarship files with district enrollment data, โฃbut acknowledged discrepancies exist due to differing systems across districts. Despite theseโข assurances, lawmakers remained unconvinced thatโ sufficient oversight is in place to โensure proper allocation โof publicโข funds.
Florida law mandates that every student receiving public funds have a state-assigned ID number. The concerns highlight a growing debate over โคopenness and accountability as โขthe voucher program continues to expandโข and utilizeโ increasing amounts ofโ public money.