Public Education is Under Attack

|Published on: Mar 30, 2023||

Last Thursday, March 23rd, the Florida Senate passed a bill that would expand school choice and potentially divert billions from public education. HB 1, would allow nearly any student in the state to use taxpayer funds to pay private school tuition. While the wealthy benefit with help to pay for an education at a private or charter school, it should not happen at the expense of public schools who will be left with fewer resources to educate the children that remain. Additionally, opponents argue that the playing field is uneven as private schools do not have the same level of accountability as public schools. Including fewer requirements for teachers and not as many protections against discrimination – given that private schools are permitted to only accept the students they want. The bill has already passed in the House and now goes to Governor DeSantis who has vowed to sign the bill into law.

HB 0411 & HJR 31 are next on deck

Next week, the Florida House will vote on two bills that will alter the process of electing school board members in the state of Florida. HB 0411, titled “District School Board Elections” will change the requirement of when a candidate must establish residency in the district until after the election instead of before the election. This change could lead to individuals who do not have a vested interest in a community seeking political office in areas that may be advantageous to their career. HJR 31, titled “Partisan Elections for Members of District School Boards” seeks to change all school board races in the state to partisan elections. This change would have an enormous impact on the tone of our school board races as well as lead to the disenfranchisement of nonpartisan voters given Florida’s closed primary system. 

Contact your representatives and register your OPPOSITION to these bills that are designed to put a nail in the coffin of public education funding in Florida.