Florida Voucher Program Expansion Sparks $47M State Funding Shortfall

Several states are experiencing significant financial challenges due to the expansion of school voucher and choice programs, which allow public education funds to follow students to private or home schools. In Arkansas, the Little Rock School District filed a motion to intervene in a lawsuit claiming the state's Educational Freedom Account program diverts public funds to private sectarian schools, violating the Constitution and harming public school resources. Florida's rapid expansion of its School Choice scholarship program resulted in a $47 million budget shortfall and delayed payments to both public and private schools, largely due to student mobility and administrative difficulties in tracking mid-semester transfers, causing some students to be double-counted. In Wisconsin, districts are experiencing contrasting impacts: smaller districts like Raymond benefit financially from open enrollment, while larger districts like Racine Unified face substantial budget losses as students leave. These cases collectively highlight the fiscal strain and operational complexities that arise when public funding accompanies student enrollment shifts across educational sectors, raising equity and funding adequacy concerns for public schools.