Fla. Debates Expanding Its Voucher Program

By Jessica L. Sandham

Two years after Florida lawmakers approved the first statewide voucher program in the country, the debate over using tax dollars to send students to private or religious schools is raging again in the Sunshine State.

Last week, the House of Representatives voted 63-54 to pass a bill that would provide vouchers of up to $3,000 to students who attend overcrowded schools— defined as those that serve at least 20 percent more students than they were designed to accommodate.

Earlier this month, House members approved another measure by a vote of 71-46 that would allow corporations to redirect up to 75 percent of their corporate income taxes to nonprofit organizations that award scholarships to low-income public school students. Students could receive up to $4,000 through those organizations to cover the cost of tuition at private schools, including those with religious affiliations, among other schooling costs. Similar measures have also been...