Posted on 04/02/2002 11:25:39 PM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
Florida Power Corp. and real-estate company WCI Communities Inc. are the only two companies to announce their involvement. Florida Power's $5 million contribution prompted Pinellas County schoolteachers to protest Monday by turning off lights and air conditioning in their classrooms.
Eleven new private schools are expected to open in Orange County this fall as hundreds of children from low-income families flee their public schools with help from newly available vouchers from the state.
As many as 2,000 Central Florida students could be using the school-choice vouchers by fall, mostly at academies promising faith-based curricula, smaller classes and more attention from teachers.
Their tuition will be paid through the Florida Corporate Income Tax Credit Scholarship Program, started by the Legislature in January, which lets businesses claim income-tax credits for directing a portion of their taxes for school vouchers.
By law, up to $50 million in tax money can redirected from state coffers to fund $3,500 vouchers for public-school students who qualify for free or reduced lunches.
Central Florida is leading the march to the program. Five hundred students received vouchers this semester to enroll in private schools in Orange, Seminole, Volusia and Osceola counties -- accounting for nearly half the participants statewide.
"People are jumping on board when they find out how it works, and it's very easy," said Sally Simmons, who is coordinating the program through Children First Central Florida, a local organization authorized by the state to review applications for vouchers.
And almost all the parents who win vouchers are taking their state-authorized tuition checks to schools that teach religion.
"I was looking for that diversity where they can have . . . not only just the Christian education but the proper computer-lab skills," said LaTrice McKinley, 31, a Wal-Mart customer-service manager who sent her children to Heritage Preparatory in Orlando.
"They're getting the Spanish. They're getting the phonics skills. I was looking for all that in one," she said.
'It's been a blessing'
So far, students have taken voucher checks to more than 70 private schools from Daytona Beach to Kissimmee. Most participating schools have received only a few students. But Heartland Christian Academy in Kissimmee added nearly 40 students just by helping parents apply for the new vouchers.
"It's been a blessing, and it's also been a challenge," said office manager Maria Anthony, noting that her small school grew by about 20 percent through the voucher program. "We were aggressive about advertising it and letting people know that it was available."
The influx of students is behind the plans for 11 new private schools in Orange County this fall, offering space for more than 1,300 voucher students. The privately funded schools will open in churches and storefronts in the area's poorest neighborhoods.
Tampa-based Florida School Choice Fund raised $5 million to create new private schools for students receiving vouchers. About $1.6 million has been allocated in Orange County, where the most private schools are opening in the state.
The schools include Nehemiah Sheriff's Academy in Eatonville, founded by Orange County Undersheriff Malone Stewart and a Baptist pastor. The academy will serve at-risk boys in middle school. Another school, Vision Academy, will focus on improving test scores of elementary students in the Oakridge neighborhood.
Educators with public-school experience will run most of the new academies. Eight of the 11 will teach religion in classes.
"We bring to this program a fresh idea," said Mildred Eason, a retired Orange County teacher and administrator who will help Vision Academy integrate faith and academics.
"As we are Christian teachers and being a private-school setting, we don't have to adhere to the strict guidelines that are handed down by public-school administrators."
The Corporate Income Tax Credit Scholarship Program is the third voucher program started since Gov. Jeb Bush took office. The first gave a handful of parents with children in failing schools in Escambia County the option to attend private schools or better public schools. Another program is allowing nearly 4,000 students with disabilities the chance to attend private schools this year.
Corporations participating in the new program may contribute up to 75 percent of their income taxes -- or $5 million -- to fund vouchers. But because corporate tax records are private, the public won't know which businesses have signed on unless the contribution is publicized. Only 2 companies join so far
Florida Power Corp. and real-estate company WCI Communities Inc. are the only two companies to announce their involvement. Florida Power's $5 million contribution prompted Pinellas County schoolteachers to protest Monday by turning off lights and air conditioning in their classrooms.
"Florida Power, as a public citizen here in Pinellas County and other places in the state, should not be taking the money that we send them for our power bill and use it to support and assist unregulated, private schools," said Rob McMahon, teachers' union president.
Even school-choice advocates are angry to see the state shuttling millions in tax dollars to private schools after slashing funds this year for public schools.
"This is just another wedge to drive between private and public schools in that corporations can only give that money to go to private schools," said Osceola School Board member Judy Robertson. "It wouldn't be an issue if public education was funded at an adequate level."
Constitutional questions
State and federal courts have yet to weigh in on critics' claims that it is unconstitutional to divert public-tax revenues to support religious schools.
"This is a program that I think raises some serious constitutional and legal questions," said Howard Simon, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida, which sued regarding Escambia County's voucher program.
"The concept of this is good and commendable, but its execution in terms of funneling the vast bulk, if not all, of the money to parochial schools has the state involved in supporting private and religious schools at the expense of the neighborhood public schools."
Political battles were the last thing on the mind of Erica Hugghley, 28, when she applied for vouchers to pull her three daughters from public schools.
"I want my children to be on a one-on-one basis so they can learn better," said Hugghley, an Orange County receptionist and single mom. "My oldest and last child were having a really difficult time because of overcrowding. Since they've been in private schools, I see a big change -- a big change in attitude and everything."
Letitia Stein can be reached at lstein@orlandosentinel.com or 407-931-5934. To learn more about the program, go to Children First Central Florida's Web site at childernfirstcf or call 407-629-8787.
Ole Rob McMahon had better rethink his boycott of A/C and lights. If it works too well he'll save so much energy that when the Arabs cut off our oil like they're threatening, we won't notice! hehehe And then the dems can't blame GWB for high gas prices and his "incoherent" Mid-East policies! Sucks to be between a rock and a hard place!
Guess this proves how much these teachers care “for the children.”
Ah!! but the beauty is that the STATE is not funding these academies, the PARENTS are – by free choice – and if these academies are not performing, the PARENTS will quickly and efficiently de-fund them.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.