SARASOTA, Fla. (SNN) – The school district says they have lost 800 students, mostly due to house bill one signed by governor Desantis last march. The law allows Florida students to use a taxpayer vouchers to attend private schools.
The voucher is worth around 8,000 dollars per a student. When giving the choice, some parents are choosing other educational options over public school.
Many of them are opting for private education or religious education or in fact home schooling. It is shame that they want to do that as far as I am concerned, we are the best game in town,” School Board Member Tom Edwards said.
The school districts they hoped to gain more students by having families move in the skye ranch area in Sarasota. The district is building a new K-8 school on Lorraine road.
It said that development in the area is slower than they expected.
“Maybe when interest rates go down and mortgages are more affordable we can see families can come in because they could afford to move to Sarasota. At this point, we are not seeing these homes occupied by families like we have expected, Bonnie Penner, chief financial officer for Sarasota County Schools said.