School voucher providers have until year’s end to clarify what parents can purchase

If you’re homeschooling your child in Florida, you could be eligible for a big-screen television, a ping-pong table, or maybe even tickets to Universal Studios on the state’s dime. According to Florida’s largest voucher provider, those are all permissible for a state reimbursement.

Since Florida has become the largest provider of public vouchers for private schooling in the country, lawmakers now expect organizations administering this money on the state’s behalf to clarify what parents can spend it on. 

Adam Emerson, executive director of the state Office of School Choice, gave lawmakers a briefing on the implementation of HB 1 — the largest expansion of universal school vouchers in the county — during the first school year since its approval this spring. He spoke during a meeting Wednesday of the House Choice and Innovation Subcommittee.

These vouchers are typically worth about $7,700. For students with special needs who are eligible for a “unique abilities scholarship,” that figure can run in excess of $10,000, according to Step Up for Students, the state’s primary “SFO,” or scholarship funding organization.