Local Educator: Florida’s Robust Schooling Options Thrive Thanks to Private Donors
by Carrie Elizabeth Bradon | The Florida Free Press
ORLANDO — Florida’s plentiful schooling options transcend the conventional public, private and charter school programs. The funding of these programs, however, is often misunderstood.
According to Dr. Kevin Clark, local educator and founder of the Ecclesial Schools Initiative, roughly 1.6 million of Florida’s 3.6 million students participate in school choice programs.
Clark said that, while Florida has a robust set of schooling options, none of them would be possible without private philanthropy and funding programs that prioritize underserved populations.
One such organization, the Charter School Growth Fund, has been aided significantly by the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship.
Despite the fact that it is well established within the state, Clark explained that many people misunderstand what the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship program is and how it functions. He said it is often inaccurately characterized as a voucher-based system; however, the tax credit scholarship is not provided by government funding.
“[Tax credit scholarships] are charitable gifts made by Florida corporations to a charitable, nonprofit scholarship granting organization (SGO) and dispersed to Florida families for use at the Florida private school of their choice,” Clark told The Florida Free Press. “Corporations are eligible to receive credits against their corporate tax liability in Florida, much in the same way individuals claim charitable gifts against their federal tax liabilities.”
School choice options extend far beyond the private and charter systems, which Clark said offer both the most traditional and common public education options, respectively.
“There are several other school choice options, however, such as magnet schools, IB programs, Florida Virtual School and home education,” Clark said. “This is not to mention the fact that Florida has universal open enrollment; any student can attend any public school in Florida, provided they can get there.”
Because of the schooling options and funding from SGOs, Florida families have the ability to send their children to the school that best suits their needs.
According to the Florida Department of Education, in the 2018–2019 academic year there were 1,825 private schools participating in the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program. The maximum scholarship amount per student totalled $7,112.
This is part of an ongoing investigation of school choice in Central Florida.
