![]() ![]() The expansion of the school voucher program allows any student to receive money for their private, charter, virtual, or homeschool education. So, choice is ubiquitous in Florida," said Tuthill. Actually, over half the kids in Florida in K-12 attend a school other than their zoned neighborhood school. “More families are more comfortable looking for different options for their kids. The increase is mainly due to the expansion of the school voucher program by the state legislature. Tuthill says normally Step Up for Students sees a 13 percent growth each year, but this year, the organization saw a 58 percent growth in applicants. We've hired, you know, more than 100 employees to help answer phones and answer text messages and emails," said Tuthill. Step Up for Students President Doug Tuthill says the organization is working to approve applications as they come in. See also: Gas prices at some stations near seven dollars per gallon in Palm Beach Gardens Step Up for Students is responsible for funding 99 percent of the vouchers, and the AAA Foundation funds the other one percent. Here's a breakdown by county from Step Up for Students, one of the two voucher program organizations: Lucie, Indian River, and Okeechobee Counties. Of those, over 407,000 students have already been awarded voucher funds.ģ3,725 students of the 407,000 students that have already been awarded voucher funds live in Palm Beach, Martin, St. (CBS12) - The State of Florida is experiencing a record number of students participating in the school voucher program.Īccording to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, the program has received nearly 430,000 applications from students across the state. Click here to sign up.WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. Tuthill can’t hide.”Įvery Thursday, get the latest updates on what’s happening in Tampa Bay area schools from Times education reporter Jeffrey S. “We’re about to converge on Tampa Bay soon if things don’t get better,” she said, referring to the home of Step Up officials such as president Doug Tuthill. Preston said the private school operators are organizing to press for action. ![]() “We don’t know what to do,” Underwood said. They also count on their schools to provide services that district schools often can’t. Many signed contracts with their schools putting themselves on the hook to pay tuition they can’t necessarily afford if the vouchers don’t arrive. Into the void have surfaced rumors, including that the scholarship funding organizations ran out of money or that they’re sitting on cash to collect the interest.įor parents like Underwood, it’s a scary proposition. She said answers have been few and far between. “We are trying to help the parents of these kids,” Nixon said, noting she has gotten calls from many families, many of whom are lower income and minority. Nixon said she and others predicted problems would occur because of the major growth, but that shouldn’t be the focus now. Angie Nixon, a Jacksonville Democrat who opposed the expansion. The situation has caught the attention of some state lawmakers, including Rep. Parents have posted on social media examples of generic responses they’ve received from Step Up, many of which suggest they call for more specifics. “That’s illegal,” Preston said, adding that she had sent a complaint to the federal Office of Civil Rights regarding the situation.Ĭalling Step Up For Students, the organization that manages about 98% of all vouchers, and the Florida Department of Education has made no difference. ![]() Some have tapped into personal funds to pay their bills, she said, while one spoke of getting an eviction notice.Īt her school, which serves about 50 children with intense therapeutic needs, some services have been canceled because they can’t pay the providers - despite the requirements of student individual education plans. Preston said representatives from about 150 private schools held a Zoom conference call late Wednesday to discuss how to deal with the lack of funding. ![]() “This year it’s been the worst,” said Maria Preston, who runs Diverse Abilities Center in Fort Lauderdale. The disruption appears to have affected thousands of students, while parents and school officials say they have been unable to get answers from those in charge of the $4 billion voucher system. Lawmakers lifted the eligibility requirements for the system, leading to a doubling of participation this fall to more than 400,000 children. It’s a situation being played out across Florida, as private schools and families scramble to make ends meet amid the growing pains of the state’s expanded voucher program. ![]()
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