Florida school officials question ‘Hope Scholarship’ program
TALLAHASSEE — More than 7,300 Florida public school students who are subject to bullying or violence are expected to participate in the first year of the new “Hope Scholarship” program, which will provide state funding to send students to private schools.
But that estimate from state analysts may have to be adjusted based on questions raised Wednesday by school officials from around the state in reaction to a proposed rule from the Department of Education aimed at implementing the voucher-like scholarship program, passed by the Legislature earlier this year.
School officials used the public workshop to try to clarify exactly how the scholarship program would work in their districts when it begins in the new academic year.
Bill Emerson, an assistant superintendent in Santa Rosa County, questioned whether the scholarship would be triggered if an incident of bullying or violence was reported by a student but not verified.
“Because there are many times we get an allegation like this and we find out it’s not true. There’s nothing to it,” Emerson said.
Under the law, once an incident is reported to a school principal, the district must notify the student’s parents within 15 days or upon the completion of the investigation, whichever occurs first, about the scholarship opportunity.
When asked whether the new rule could provide a tighter standard, Adam Miller, executive director of the DOE’s Office of Independent Education and Parental Choice, said the department is strictly guided by the new law.
“We are bound by what is in the statute. We can’t through a rule amend the provisions of the law. We can only implement the law as written,” Miller said. “So this rule really kind of fills in the blanks for process and procedure and some of the regulations in terms of private school participation.”
In addition to using the state-funded scholarships to attend a private school, the Hope program would also let students attend another public school, providing up to $750 in transportation costs.