Florida passed a law two years ago to promote and grow charter schools, which, in turn, has led to a drop in public school funding.
The Florida Policy Institute estimated the state spent $3.9 billion on vouchers for private education in 2024-25, up from the $3.2 billion during the prior school year.
More students attending private or charter schools means less money for public schools. That’s because state funding is tied to each individual student, so a drop in public school enrollment means less funding for the public schools they left. That comes to roughly $9,000 per student every year.
FPI found seven in 10 new scholarships are awarded to students already enrolled in private schools. This is a result of a 2023 state law that removed income as a qualification for the voucher programs.
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