TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — On Thursday, members of the Florida Senate voted to extend the Family Empowerment Scholarship Program. The expansion allows for any students living in Florida to get a voucher that they can use to attend participating private schools.
Previously, the voucher was only available to students based on income.
Critics of the legislation like Andrew Spar, who is the president of the Florida Education Association, say it misuses public tax dollars for private schools that don't have to follow the same state education regulations.
"Voucher programs are going to siphon dollars off of our public schools,” he said, adding that public schools are already underfunded. “Teachers are constantly asked to take money out of their own pockets just to buy basic supplies.
"If we fully funded our schools and made sure that public schools had all the support that they needed, then we wouldn't even be having this conversation."
But Hera Varmah says she utilized the scholarship during some of her time in K-12, and she says it changed the trajectory of her life.
“It takes the choice out of the legislators' hands, and puts it back into the parent's hands,” she said. “Parents know their children the best, and they make the best decisions for their child, so why not give them the option to choose what school best fits them?”
Varmah also says the expansion would help parents who have children with special needs find schools that best support their students.
The final decision for the expansion will now head to Florida Gov. Ron Desantis’ desk. If signed, it would go into effect on July 1.