In a detailed editorial, The South Florida Sun Sentinel blasted Senate Bill 48, set on radically reshaping the state’s five school choice programs and substantially widening student eligibility for vouchers. In 2014, the Florida legislature lifted the cap on eligibility so that students from families making up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level could qualify. Senate Bill 48 lifts the cap to 300 percent.

Florida’s five programs comprise two for students with disabilities: McKay Scholarships, a voucher program initiated in 1999, which now serves nearly 30,000 students at about $8,000 each; and the Gardiner Scholarships, a flexible spending program (termed an Education Savings Account, or ESA for short) initiated in 2014 allowing parents to choose academic instruction, tutoring, and counseling from a range of approved service providers, which now serves nearly 15,000 students at about $11,000 each.

Florida’s three other programs include its Corporate Tax Credit Scholarship Program, initiated in 2001, which now serves nearly 110,000 students at about $6,500 each; Family Empowerment Scholarship Program, a voucher program initiated in 2019, which now serves about 18,000 students at $7,250 each; and Hope Scholarship Program, funded through individual tax credits and initiated in 2019, which now serves about 300 students.

Senate Bill 48 would merge the two programs for students with disabilities. The editorial board of the Sun Sentinel took no issue with that measure but weighed heavily against the bill’s call for lifting the cap on eligibility for scholarships and blending these programs into one giant ESA.

These programs, the newspaper stated, were introduced to serve children from low-income families who otherwise would not have been able to attend private schools. Lifting the cap on eligibility for these programs to encompass families earning up to 300 percent of the federal poverty level redefines their purpose, the newspaper concluded.

“A family [of four] making about $80,000 a year could qualify,” the Sun Sentinel explained. “According to the Census Bureau, Florida’s median household income — half above, half below — in 2019 was about $56,000.”

The Sun Sentinel elaborated:

“In 2014, the Legislature expanded the voucher program to incomes up to $62,000. In an editorial, the Sun Sentinel warned that the precedent could mean expansion to as much as $82,000. Vouchers supporters dismissed the possibility. But here we are.

In addition, SB 48 would allow parents to use public money for private school tuition, home schooling and college savings funds. The money could go for purchases such as laptops.

“The Republican-led privatization effort revved up in 2006. The Florida Supreme Court — not yet packed with Federalist Society members — had struck down a voucher program that began under former Gov. Jeb Bush.

“The court ruled, correctly, that the Florida Constitution does not allow public financing of private schools. So the Legislature got creative by allowing companies to get a tax credit — and earn political goodwill — by financing the program indirectly.

“Two years ago, with Gov. DeSantis in place, the Legislature dropped even that pretense. The Family Empowerment Scholarship Program uses money directly from the state treasury. Now it will be the sole source of school vouchers. Tallahassee began it in 2019 when money for the corporate tax credit program came up short and expanded it last year.

“Critics talked about a lawsuit. But a very different Florida Supreme Court would support the privatization push. Having the courts might be protection enough. But self-interested political influence also boosts the privatization campaign.

Step Up For Students is the non-profit entity that distributes the voucher money, taking a percentage for its services. President Doug Tuthill makes nearly $287,000 in salary, based on the group’s 2019 IRS 990 form.

“John Kirtley is the unpaid chairman of Step Up For Students. He’s also co-chairman of the Florida Federation for Children, a political action committee that donated $1.4 million during the 2020 election cycle.

“Then there’s Diaz himself. During six years in the House and two years in the Senate, he has been part of every charter school and voucher-related bill. In a public-minded, ethical Legislature, Diaz would be his own conflict of interest.

“Diaz is chief operating officer of Doral College. As the Sun Sentinel reported in 2016, ‘Diaz has benefited personally to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars as charter schools owned by the for-profit Academica’ pay Doral College — which also is affiliated with Academica — ‘for college courses that are not transferrable to any other school.’

“Charter schools use public money, but are run by private entities. Every expansion of charters and vouchers could benefit Diaz. But because his bills apply to an entire industry, not just himself, he doesn’t violate Tallahassee’s loose ethics rules.

The Legislature could make helpful changes to the voucher program. Tallahassee could require that they give the same tests that traditional public school students must take. Such a comparison might show whether the schools actually are helping at-risk students.

“But voucher supporters resist such accountability. Indeed, SB 48 would require an audit of Step Up For Students only every three years, not annually, as is the case now.

“Voucher supporters have been politically savvy, making low-income, minority students the face of the program. But the privateers’ real ambitions always have been clear — and never more so than this year.”