With Florida's legislative session on the horizon, the Florida Policy Institute (FPI) and Education Law Center (ELC) have issued a report warning about the financial implications of the state's universal voucher program. The report reveals that private school vouchers are costing $3.9 billion in the current fiscal year, closely aligning with their earlier prediction of a $4 billion expense when House Bill 1 was proposed in 2023.
The data indicates a significant increase in state education funds being allocated to private education vouchers, rising from 12 percent in FY 2021-22 to 23 percent in FY 2024-25. The report also highlights local-level data showing how state aid is being redirected to FES vouchers by county.
Concerns have been raised about future costs as the cap on PEP (home-school) students will be completely lifted by FY 2027. Sadaf Knight, CEO of FPI, stated: “While funding going to public schools is carefully scrutinized through the budget process, Florida lawmakers have failed to ensure accountability in the state’s universal voucher program. Without the proper guardrails, we will see the cost of private school vouchers continue to balloon to the detriment of public schools.”
Norin Dollard, PhD, senior policy analyst and KIDS COUNT director, added: “Florida is and has been a chronically underfunded state with respect to K-12 education. The continued and increasing drain on public schools severely undercuts our ability to provide quality education for all of Florida’s students.”
Mary McKillip, senior researcher at ELC, expressed concern over future costs: “We take no pride in being right about the amount of public money Florida’s universal voucher programs now cost the state. And we are deeply concerned about how much these numbers will continue to increase year after year and further impact public school district funding across the state.”
The universal voucher program took effect on July 1, 2023, expanding eligibility by removing income caps and opening access to all K-12 students regardless of household income. According to Step Up for Students data, since HB 1's passage, 69 percent of newly enrolled students were already attending private schools.
Despite calls for transparency from FPI and others, comprehensive demographic data from Florida's Department of Education regarding current fiscal year vouchers remains unavailable.
FPI aims to improve economic mobility and quality of life for Floridians through policy advancement. Founded in 1973, ELC seeks educational justice and equity for all students.