Florida Passes ‘Historic’ School Choice Legislation

What’s happening? The Florida Legislature passed a bill that would widely expand school choice throughout the state. The bill would universally expand historic state-funded vouchers to families seeking to homeschool or send their children to private or religious schools. The bill is now headed to Governor DeSantis’s desk and will likely be signed into law.

Why is it happening? The nationwide call for school choice grows rapidly in the aftermath of the COVID-19 lockdowns, school closures, and problems with remote learning. In reaction to such frustrations, Republican states like Arizona, Utah, and Iowa have passed universal school choice legislation. Florida would be the fourth state in this growing national coalition of red states to pass universal school choice legislation.

Big picture: Gov. Ron DeSantis, who touted his support for the bill, continues to lead Florida Republicans in pushing a legislative agenda that favor the governor's initiatives in forming a national education policy model for conservatives nationwide. Additionally, with the success of this bill, others like it, and proactive decisions like keeping schools open amid COVID, Gov. DeSantis continues to build a resume in anticipation of the coming GOP primaries.