Summary:
Florida is a leader in providing parental choice in education.
Public School Choice:
Florida offers families school choice within the public school system. Students assigned to failing public schools can transfer to a higher-performing public school. In 2007-2008, over 1,300 students took advantage of the public school choice option. In addition, school districts can offer open enrollment on a voluntary basis. The state also has a thriving charter school network. According to the Center for Education Reform, as of 2010, over 150,000 students were enrolled in Florida’s 483 charter schools.
Private School Choice:
Florida offers private school choice to special-needs and low-income students. The John McKay Scholarship for Students with Disabilities Program offers vouchers to special-needs students. In 2009, more than 20,000 children received McKay Scholarships. The Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program permits businesses to receive a tax credit for contributing to scholarships for low-income students. In 2009, more than 32,000 students received a scholarship as a result of the tax credit.
Online Learning:
Florida is a pioneer in K-12 online learning. According to Keeping Pace with K-12 Online Learning, its state-led program, the Florida Virtual School (FLVS), is the biggest state virtual school in the nation. As of 2011, all districts provide both full- and part-time online learning options for PK–12 grade students through district virtual instruction programs (VIP). The Florida Virtual Academy and the Florida Connections Academy are two full-time online schools enrolling students in grades K-8. The Florida Virtual School had nearly 260,000 course enrollments in 2010-2011, and 56 school districts currently offer online courses through FLVS.
Recent Developments:
In 2011, Governor Rick Scott signed legislation to enact five new school choice laws. The bills: (1) allow students to more easily transfer from a failing public school to a higher performing public school; (2) allow high-performing charter schools to more readily expand by allowing them to add more grades or open more branches without the approval of the local school board; (3) expand the eligibility of students who can participate in the McKay Scholarship program for special needs students; (4) gives an increased tax credit to corporations that participate in the Tuition Tax-Credit Program; and (5) allows the Florida Virtual School to offer courses to elementary school students.
More Information:
Click here for detailed information about Florida's public schools. See below for Florida school choice contacts and a detailed history of school choice in Florida.