Senate OKs fixes to Florida’s school voucher funding model

Florida's $4 billion school voucher program could see more state oversight

After an audit that found millions in fraud, the Florida Senate passes bill to add accountability measures to Family Empowerment Scholarship program.

The ball is in the House’s court to solve school voucher funding problems

Senate President Ben Albritton (L) and House Speaker Danny Perez (R) are ready for the start of the 2026 Session. (Photos via the Legislature; Capitol photo by Jay Waagmeester/Florida Phoenix.)It’s the Florida House’s turn to address school voucher accounting shortfalls. The Senate on Wednesday unanimously approved its package to fix problems uncovered by a state audit that created major consternation among lawmakers.  The package SB 318, amendi…

Senate OKs fixes to Florida’s school voucher funding model

“If we don’t do anything, it would be legislative malpractice,” Senate majority leader Jim Boyd said.

Senate Passes Bill Tightening Oversight of School Choice Scholarships

The Florida Senate on Wednesday approved legislation that would revise how the state administers its school choice scholarship programs, including changes to funding structure, application procedures, and verification requirements. Senate Bill 318, sponsored by Sen. Don Gaetz, follows recommendations made in a 2025 operational audit by Florida’s Auditor General that reviewed school funding and scholarship administration. The bill updates statute…

Florida Senate passes overhaul of private school vouchers

The Florida Senate voted Wednesday to overhaul Florida’s school voucher system, which diverts billions of public education dollars every year to students’ private schooling and homeschooling. Senators pushed the legislation, SB 318, during the committee weeks preceding session. Its unanimous approval on the chamber floor on the session’s second day signifies it as a priority for the Senate, but its fate in the House is up in the air. “The audito…

School Choice Changes Backed

Amid problems such as tracking students and money, the Florida Senate on Wednesday unanimously approved a plan that would make financial and administrative changes in the state’s universal school-choice program.