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February 7, 2020The Catholic Church proudly advocates for true parental empowerment in education. We support both legislation that expands state scholarship programs as well as a strong system of public education. We support policies, which address the best interests of all schoolchildren. The availability of both private, including faith-based schools as well as a well-funded public education system strengthens all schools. A government-run education monopoly breeds mediocrity and wastes dollars.
Yet, at the same time, our Catholic schools provides significant savings to the state of Florida. There are currently 77,609 K-12 children served in Florida's 242 Catholic schools. The cost to educate these children in public schools would have been $567 million during the 2017-2018 school year. Even after subtracting out the value of the Florida Tax Credit, McKay and Gardiner scholarships provided to some 26,000 Catholic school students, these schools save the state more than $423 million per year.
While these scholarship programs have overcome challenges in our courts, opponents of parental empowerment in education are exerting pressure on businesses who have taken advantage of the Florida Tax Credit program to support parents.
Read more from Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami.
