Florida private school vouchers have expanded so lawmakers are looking for more organizations to administer them

TALLAHASSEE — As organizations that administer Florida’s school vouchers deal with what one official called “the most complex set of programs” in the country, lawmakers are looking at bringing in more of the so-called scholarship funding organizations.

The Legislature and Gov. Ron DeSantis in March approved a law (HB 1) that massively expanded voucher programs, in part by eliminating income eligibility requirements. Making the administration of the programs more complicated, vouchers can now be used for a range of purchases beyond private school tuition.

Members of the House Choice & Innovation Subcommittee on Wednesday heard from a panel of leaders of the state’s two scholarship-funding organizations, Step Up for Students and AAA Scholarship Foundation. Step Up for Students administers the vast majority of Florida’s vouchers, with AAA handling a smaller portion.

John Kirtley, founder and chairman of Step Up for Students, said the expansion of programs and the much wider range of uses of vouchers has made administering what he called “the most complex set of programs in the country” more challenging.