Florida’s Tax Credit Scholarship has provided learning options to needy school children for 12 years and is now serving nearly 60,000 students in roughly 1,400 private schools. Their average household income is only 9 percent above poverty, two-thirds are Black and Hispanic, more than half live in single-parent households, and those who choose the scholarship are the lowest academic performers from the public schools they leave behind. On standardized tests, these same students are consistently keeping pace academically with students of all incomes level s nationally. As your constituent, I ask that you please support the following efforts to strengthen and grow the scholarship to serve more students.
1. Bump up the cap on scholarships for the next three years: Though the scholarship is currently serving roughly 60,000 K-12 students this year, applications were cut off in June 2013 with more than 94,000 students who had started an application. Please increase the cap to allow 120,000 students to participate if they choose.
2. Gradually reduce the gap with middle and high school tuitions: The current scholarship, $4,880, is one of the lowest education options in the state. It is also the same for kindergarteners and seniors, even though high school tuitions are 18 percent higher. Please boost the scholarship for middle and high school to reduce the gap with tuition, making the options more affordable.
3. Partial scholarships for the working class beginning in 2016: For a dozen years, the scholarship has drawn a harsh line of eligibility. If your household is eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, you can receive a full scholarship with $4,800 this year. If you earn $1 more, you receive nothing. The better approach is to give financial help commensurate with a family’s financial need. Please support partial scholarships for students with household incomes up to 395 percent of poverty, which is slightly less than the income threshold for subsidized insurance under the U.S. Affordable Care Act.
4. Transportation help for public school students: Current scholarship law provides $500 transportation scholarship to low-income students who attend an out-of-district public school. Please increase the transportation help to $750 and include income-eligible students who attend a district-operated choice program for which district transportation is not available.
5. More help for foster children: Students in foster care are automatically eligible for the scholarship, but some children have squeezed out because they miss the application deadlines or because they are in what is known as “out of home care.” Please allow foster students to apply and enroll throughout the year and qualify if they are in “out of home care.”
6. Remove the requirement that new middle and high school students come from a public school: Students who want to enter the scholarship program in grades 6-12 must have attended a Florida public school the prior year, even if they meet the income guidelines. Though most applicants in these grades meet the requirement, the ones who don’t are often suffering a financial blow at home. Their parents were paying for private school, lost their jobs, can no longer afford tuition but can’t qualify and must uproot their student. Please eliminate the prior-year public school requirement.
Updates
February 26, 2014
I have been spending my evenings reading through the stories you all have left in the comments section. Seeing how many families are struggling to find a stable path for their children reminds me exactly why I started this fight in the first place.
February 26, 2014
Seeing this kind of movement confirms that so many of you understand the struggle these families face every day. I keep thinking about the thousands of kids still waiting for a fair chance at a better classroom. This momentum proves that we refuse to leave them behind.
Reached 100 supporters
February 26, 2014
7 Comments
the cap needs to go up. 94k kids wanted in and couldnt get it? that is just tragic.
The public schools failed my daughter. She needed something else and this was the only way we could afford it. Dont turn these kids away.
High school is way more expensive than elementary. How do they expect parents to cover the diff with the same amount of money?? FIX THIS.
Finally some logic. Florida needs to keep this growing.
please let these kids have a chance. its not right that so many are stuck in failing schools just cause of their zip code.
Greetings Partner in Faith: The Florida Interfaith Alliance for School Choice (FIASC) is requesting statewide support from faith leaders to expand equal educational opportunities for low-income children. The mission of FIASC is to bridge the gap between faith and education, by mobilizing and organizing leaders of faith, to advocate for school choice. In 1st Samuel 17:29- God’s people were threatened by a formidable foe (Goliath) and David recognized it as God’s “cause.” Today, low-income children are threatened by a formidable foe (access to equal opportunities), and we recognize education and access as our “cause”. The Florida Interfaith Alliance for School Choice believes access to educational options is a moral issue, and it is imperative that faith leaders advocate for what we believe is the defining factor every societal ill . We humbly request your support in this “cause”, by signing and promoting the Expanding Equal Opportunity petition. Florida’s Tax Credit Scholarship has provided learning options to low-income school children for 12 years and is now serving nearly 60,000 students in roughly 1,400 private schools. Their average household income is only 9 percent above poverty, two-thirds are Black and Hispanic, more than half live in single-parent households, and those who choose the scholarship are the lowest academic performers from the public schools they leave behind. On standardized tests, these same students are consistently keeping pace academically with students of all incomes levels nationally or outperforming in faith-based/private schools. On March 5th 2014, FIASC will publish an advertisement in the Tallahassee democrat newspaper with the endorsement of two-hundred interfaith leaders inclusive of the Jewish, Muslim, Protestant, and Catholic communities to support the expanding equal opportunity petition. On March 6th 2014, FIASC will host an Interfaith Day of Prayer and Advocacy in Tallahassee with interfaith leaders, communi
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Florida’s Tax Credit Scholarship has provided learning options to needy school children for 12 years and is now serving nearly 60,000 students in roughly 1,400 private schools. Their average household income is only 9 percent above poverty, two-thirds are Black and Hispanic, more than half live in single-parent households, and those who choose the scholarship are the lowest academic performers from the public schools they leave behind. On standardized tests, these same students are consistently keeping pace academically with students of all incomes level s nationally. As your constituent, I ask that you please support the following efforts to strengthen and grow the scholarship to serve more students.
1. Bump up the cap on scholarships for the next three years: Though the scholarship is currently serving roughly 60,000 K-12 students this year, applications were cut off in June 2013 with more than 94,000 students who had started an application. Please increase the cap to allow 120,000 students to participate if they choose.
2. Gradually reduce the gap with middle and high school tuitions: The current scholarship, $4,880, is one of the lowest education options in the state. It is also the same for kindergarteners and seniors, even though high school tuitions are 18 percent higher. Please boost the scholarship for middle and high school to reduce the gap with tuition, making the options more affordable.
3. Partial scholarships for the working class beginning in 2016: For a dozen years, the scholarship has drawn a harsh line of eligibility. If your household is eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, you can receive a full scholarship with $4,800 this year. If you earn $1 more, you receive nothing. The better approach is to give financial help commensurate with a family’s financial need. Please support partial scholarships for students with household incomes up to 395 percent of poverty, which is slightly less than the income threshold for subsidized insurance under the U.S. Affordable Care Act.
4. Transportation help for public school students: Current scholarship law provides $500 transportation scholarship to low-income students who attend an out-of-district public school. Please increase the transportation help to $750 and include income-eligible students who attend a district-operated choice program for which district transportation is not available.
5. More help for foster children: Students in foster care are automatically eligible for the scholarship, but some children have squeezed out because they miss the application deadlines or because they are in what is known as “out of home care.” Please allow foster students to apply and enroll throughout the year and qualify if they are in “out of home care.”
6. Remove the requirement that new middle and high school students come from a public school: Students who want to enter the scholarship program in grades 6-12 must have attended a Florida public school the prior year, even if they meet the income guidelines. Though most applicants in these grades meet the requirement, the ones who don’t are often suffering a financial blow at home. Their parents were paying for private school, lost their jobs, can no longer afford tuition but can’t qualify and must uproot their student. Please eliminate the prior-year public school requirement.
Updates
February 26, 2014
I have been spending my evenings reading through the stories you all have left in the comments section. Seeing how many families are struggling to find a stable path for their children reminds me exactly why I started this fight in the first place.
February 26, 2014
Seeing this kind of movement confirms that so many of you understand the struggle these families face every day. I keep thinking about the thousands of kids still waiting for a fair chance at a better classroom. This momentum proves that we refuse to leave them behind.
Reached 100 supporters
February 26, 2014
7 Comments
Every kid deserves a fair shot at a good education. My son is thriving now and we need to help the thousands still waiting on the list!
the cap needs to go up. 94k kids wanted in and couldnt get it? that is just tragic.
The public schools failed my daughter. She needed something else and this was the only way we could afford it. Dont turn these kids away.
High school is way more expensive than elementary. How do they expect parents to cover the diff with the same amount of money?? FIX THIS.
Finally some logic. Florida needs to keep this growing.
please let these kids have a chance. its not right that so many are stuck in failing schools just cause of their zip code.
Greetings Partner in Faith: The Florida Interfaith Alliance for School Choice (FIASC) is requesting statewide support from faith leaders to expand equal educational opportunities for low-income children. The mission of FIASC is to bridge the gap between faith and education, by mobilizing and organizing leaders of faith, to advocate for school choice. In 1st Samuel 17:29- God’s people were threatened by a formidable foe (Goliath) and David recognized it as God’s “cause.” Today, low-income children are threatened by a formidable foe (access to equal opportunities), and we recognize education and access as our “cause”. The Florida Interfaith Alliance for School Choice believes access to educational options is a moral issue, and it is imperative that faith leaders advocate for what we believe is the defining factor every societal ill . We humbly request your support in this “cause”, by signing and promoting the Expanding Equal Opportunity petition. Florida’s Tax Credit Scholarship has provided learning options to low-income school children for 12 years and is now serving nearly 60,000 students in roughly 1,400 private schools. Their average household income is only 9 percent above poverty, two-thirds are Black and Hispanic, more than half live in single-parent households, and those who choose the scholarship are the lowest academic performers from the public schools they leave behind. On standardized tests, these same students are consistently keeping pace academically with students of all incomes levels nationally or outperforming in faith-based/private schools. On March 5th 2014, FIASC will publish an advertisement in the Tallahassee democrat newspaper with the endorsement of two-hundred interfaith leaders inclusive of the Jewish, Muslim, Protestant, and Catholic communities to support the expanding equal opportunity petition. On March 6th 2014, FIASC will host an Interfaith Day of Prayer and Advocacy in Tallahassee with interfaith leaders, communi
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Every kid deserves a fair shot at a good education. My son is thriving now and we need to help the thousands still waiting on the list!