House Education Committee Advances School-Choice Expansion

The House Education Committee advanced a proposal that includes a new school-choice program. The bill will provide increased scholarship opportunities to lower-income families who would otherwise be eligible to participate in the Florida Tax Credit (FTC) program by alleviating a nearly 13,000-student waiting list for the longstanding program. The House bill goes further than a similar Senate proposal by also broadening eligibility for participation.

Several parents whose children have benefited from school choice programs testified in support of the measure. The bishops of Florida have long supported parental empowerment in education and increased educational opportunities for low-income families.