Senate Passes Parental Empowerment Bill with Problematic Formula

SB 7070 (Education Committee) would create the Family Empowerment Scholarship Program, a new state-funded program for students from lower-income families to attend eligible non-public schools that meet their educational needs. The measure would also reduce the current 12,974 student waitlist for the Florida Tax Credit (FTC) Scholarship Program.

An amendment to the bill prior to passage by the Senate ( 23-17) is of concern to the FCCB. The bill was amended with a new methodology to calculate the value of both new and existing scholarships. This change would significantly decrease the value of scholarships for students above sixth grade and would place an undue burden on low-income parents seeking educational options for their children. This new calculation method aligns with the House companion bill, HB 7075 (Education Committee; Sullivan), which is in the full House on second reading.

This year's Catholic Days at the Capitol participants advocated in support of the new parental empowerment opportunities, while also expressing concern for provisions that would destabilize existing programs by decreasing funding.