Florida is the largest state for school choice and has programs dating back to the late 1990s, which offers important lessons on how choice works.
A report from the Manhattan Institute’s City Journal outlines three key takeaways from the Sunshine State, highlighting the power of options.
The first is that parents want choices.
Florida stands out in that more than half (53%) of students are enrolled in a school of choice. Many of the options are public, such as charter schools, but a majority of students attend schools outside their locally zoned campus.
The state is one of a few where its education savings accounts are universally available and universally funded.
“Given the option, a majority of families opt out of their local public schools,” the report said. Charter schools alone account for nearly 14% of students.
The second finding is that broad school choice creates a “sheer panoply of educational options,” allowing parents to customize their child’s education.
“Some parents are opting for ‘à la carte learning,’ with more microschools and entrepreneurs offering specialized courses ranging from saltwater studies to cooking lessons that integrate math, science and culture,” the report said.
Even public schools are participating, with 50 of the state’s 67 districts offering classes available to school choice participants. Miami-Dade County Public Schools opened “more than 95 classes to students not enrolled in the district.”
“In addition to core academic classes, specialty classes are also in demand: automotive, aviation, Advanced Placement, or performing arts courses like dance and orchestra,” the report said. Some program participants have chosen to enroll in the district full time.
The report also notes that school choice has contributed to growth in religious schooling, with Jewish schools increasing 58% and Catholic schools 12%.
“Catholic school growth is largely driven by students with special needs utilizing the state’s Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities,” it said. “The number of Catholic school students using the scholarship is up 19% year over year.”
Two additional lessons are that school choice does not “bankrupt” states, as opponents have claimed. Florida spends 11% of its education budget on choice programs, meaning the other 89% goes to public options.
The other is that choice can, and often does, lift public school performance. The Sunshine State has raised test scores, especially for low-income students. Graduation rates have also risen.
The state has ranked first in U.S. News & World Report’s education rankings in two of the past three years.
The bottom line:
“Education-focused families are flocking to Florida for school choice,” the report concluded. “Ideally, more states will look to Florida as a blueprint for empowering families and supporting the growth of quality, customized educational options.”
