The Foundation for Florida’s Future issued the following statement in response to the filing of Senate Bill 318 by Sen. Don Gaetz. The proposal would change how the state funds and monitors the Family Empowerment Scholarship and other school choice programs.
“The Foundation appreciates Sen. Gaetz’s interest in ensuring the nation’s largest parental choice program works better for the half a million families that utilize it and the districts that are impacted by families making different decisions.
“The administration of the program has not been perfect, and there’s plenty of room for improvement, but layering new, additional parental requirements will not solve what is ultimately a student tracking problem. Upgraded technology and unified data reporting standards like those used in Texas and Indiana are the best solutions to this.
“We look forward to working with Sen. Gaetz, Chairman Burgess and Chairwoman Jenna Persons-Mulicka to modernize the state’s student tracking infrastructure and data reporting standards while protecting families who utilize the state’s scholarship programs.”
