Legislation aims to fix “whatever could go wrong has gone wrong” problems plaguing scholarship programs.
The Florida Senate unanimously passed sweeping school choice reform legislation yesterday, responding to a damning state audit that revealed widespread problems with the state’s universal scholarship programs.
- Senate Bill 318, sponsored by former Senate President Don Gaetz (R-Crestview), addresses implementation failures identified in a 2025 Auditor General report that exposed systemic issues threatening Florida’s pioneering school choice initiative.
“Whatever Could Go Wrong Has Gone Wrong”
Senator Gaetz didn’t mince words about the current state of affairs, quoting the Auditor General’s stark assessment of the program’s troubled rollout.
“I filed this legislation in response to the hundreds of messages I’ve received from parents, private schools and public schools urging that we preserve the promise of school choice – public, private, or home school, by fixing the structural problems within this iconic program,” Gaetz said. “If this issue is left to fester, it will imperil school choice in our state.”
Key Changes: Money Follows the Student
The legislation creates new safeguards to ensure scholarship funds actually reach intended recipients. Parents must now attest their child isn’t enrolled in public school, with the Department of Education cross-checking applications against district enrollment files.
- All scholarship recipients will receive a Florida student ID to track funding, and a standardized withdrawal form will document when students leave public schools. These measures aim to eliminate the tracking problems that have plagued the program.
To help families plan effectively, SB 318 establishes fall and spring application windows and requires a single application for all scholarship programs. Parents will need to provide multiple residency documents and birth certificates at application time.
- Payment schedules shift from quarterly to monthly installments, with student eligibility verified before each payment. The Department of Education can provide first-quarter funding to scholarship organizations based on projected enrollment numbers.
Enhanced Accountability
The Auditor General will conduct annual end-of-year audits of scholarship programs, with scholarship organizations required to return funds based on audit findings. The Department of Education gains access to scholarship organization records to reconcile payments and must provide recommendations for improving program efficiency.
The legislation also reduces administrative fees for the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship program, directing more money toward actual scholarships. It expands authorized uses to include Career and Technical Student Organization fees and broadens eligibility for tutoring services.
The bill earned bipartisan co-sponsorship from Senator Corey Simon (R-Tallahassee), who sponsored the 2023 universal school choice legislation, along with Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Danny Burgess (R-Zephyrhills) and Democratic Senators Rosalind Osgood and Darryl Rouson. Senator Jason Pizzo (NPA-Hollywood) also signed on.
Preserving Parental Choice
Despite the implementation problems, Gaetz emphasized the legislation’s core purpose: protecting parental rights in education.
- “We who believe in school choice and parent empowerment want to safeguard it,” he said. “That’s what our bill does.”
The legislation now moves to the Florida House for consideration.
To read up on all the bills sponsored by our local lawmakers and all other bills we recommend you follow, read this week’s cover story – 2026 Florida Legislative Session Bills to Watch.
