Editor’s note: This article appeared Friday on foxnews.com.
Every parent in Florida could soon be eligible to use state funds to send their children to the school of their choice, thanks to a historic universal school choice bill passing in the state legislature on Thursday.
Florida’s House Bill 1 expands school choice in the state by eliminating income requirements to the current scholarship system, but still gives preference to low-income families. Universal school choice is growing in popularity across the United States, with Florida becoming the fourth in the nation to pass such legislation in the past year. A similar bill was passed in Iowa last month.
School choice advocates praised the monumental move saying it freed students from a broken system.
Former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos said Florida was leading the way in education freedom by “empowering parents” and giving students “better options” in their schooling.
“There’s a reason the bill has bipartisan support and limited opposition: Florida’s families know school choice works. They’ve watched it in action for decades, and they’ve seen students thrive and schools improve,” she said.
Students in Florida and other states are “no longer hostages to an outdated, broken system,” DeVos added.
The former Trump administration official claimed that politicians opposed to the bill were on “the wrong side of history.”
Fight for Schools’ executive director Ian Prior said the bill allowed parents who feel “trapped” by public schools “that are more intent to push a political agenda” now have more of a say in their child’s education.
“Expanding school choice is fundamental to empowering parents to tailor the best education for their children, regardless of zip code. This is a great leap forward towards a better education system for Floridians,” Prior added.
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