With Strong Bipartisan Support, Florida Strengthens Scholarship Program
More companies will be eligible for tax credits for donating to scholarship organizations
Contact: Andrew Campanella
Director of Communications Phone: 202-280-1985 Mobile: 202-276-1303
06/02/2009
(Washington, D.C., June 2, 2009)—More companies can now participate in Florida’s popular parental choice program, thanks to a bill signed last night by Gov. Charlie Crist. The bill—which received strong bipartisan support in the Florida Senate and House—allows insurance companies to receive premium tax credits for making donations to nonprofits that help provide low-income students with scholarships to attend private schools.
The Tax Credit Scholarship Program—popularly known as Step Up for Students—is serving an estimated 23,400 students this year, with more than 1,000 private schools participating. The program, which was enacted in 2001, has been praised by independent evaluators for saving the state millions of dollars while enhancing educational choices for low-income families.
Florida’s parental choice programs also demonstrate the strong and growing bipartisan support for school choice. When the program was passed eight years ago, only one Democrat in the legislature voted for its passage. The bill expanding corporate participation in the program this year was supported by nearly half of the Legislative Democratic Caucus, more than half of the Legislative Black Caucus, and all 13 members of the Legislative Hispanic Caucus. Senate Democratic Leader Al Lawson voted in favor of the bill.
“Florida has led the nation in bipartisan school choice and education reform measures,” said John Schilling, interim president of the Alliance for School Choice. “We salute our friends at Step Up For Students and the Florida School Choice Fund for their tireless efforts to ensure that additional students are provided with educational opportunities.”
Florida’s Tax Credit Program is one of 18 private school choice programs in the country. In total, private school choice programs operate in 10 states and the District of Columbia and serve 171,000 students.
