Florida's tax credit scholarship program enables children from low income families to attend private schools. The program is funded by corporations that receive tax credits for their donations. More kids than ever are enrolled in the program as the state has increased the number of tax credits allowed.
More than 60,000 children are enrolled, and thousands more are on a waiting list.
The program has strong support from Republicans. Kathleen McGrory in the Herald/Times Tallahassee bureau says the staunchest advocates include former Gov. Jeb Bush and his Foundation for Florida's Future.
“They're real big advocates of school choice, and they say this is just another way to provide choices to parents, particularly parents who wouldn't otherwise be able to afford private school tuition. But the program certainly does have its opponents", McGrory said. "You find a lot of Democrats and union leaders who really look at this as diverting money away from the public school system.”
Critics say the money shouldn't go to private schools that aren't held to the same accountability standards as public schools.
The counties with the highest number of students in the program include Miami Dade, Broward, and Hillsborough. Most of the children are minorities and all are from low income families.