Scholarship Program Expansion and Virtual School Improvements Advance

House and Senate committees approved bills that would accelerate growth of the Family Empowerment Scholarship (FES) program, which provides scholarships for nearly 18,000 students from low-income families to attend non-public schools this year. In addition to boosting the formula that increases the number of students allowed to participate in the program each year, the bills remove the requirement to attend public school the year prior to participation for students in grades 1 and 2. They also allow students to take up to two Florida Virtual School courses per school year without reducing their basic FES scholarship amounts.

On February 25, HB 7067 (Education Committee) was passed (18-10) by the House Appropriations Committee, and SB 1220 (Diaz) was passed (5-3) by the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Education.