Gov. DeSantis signs school voucher expansion

TAMPA, Fla. — Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday signed legislation that will dramatically expand a voucher program that helps students go to private schools, the latest step in a two-decade push to expand school choice in Florida. 

The Republican governor said the bill “expands and builds off the success” of the Florida Empowerment Scholarship program, which he pushed to create shortly after taking office in 2019. The bill (HB 7067), passed during the legislative session that ended in March, will help nearly 29,000 more students receive vouchers next school year.

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“This will be more opportunity,” DeSantis said during a news conference at Cristo Rey Tampa Salesian High School, a Catholic school in Tampa. 

When Florida launched the program last year, enrollment was capped at 18,000 students for the 2019-2020 school year. But in signing the bill Thursday, DeSantis raised the cap to more than 46,600 students for the 2020-2021 school year.

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