TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The Florida Senate passed legislation Monday to dramatically expand the state's school voucher programs, even as Democrats cast the measure as a taxpayer-funded giveaway to unaccountable private schools.

What You Need To Know

  • The Florida Senate passed an expansion of the state's school voucher programs Monday

  • Opponents of the Republican-crafted bill argue that the main benefactor, private schools, are not held to the same standards as public schools

  • Proponents of the bill say parents can hold schools accountable by choosing not to send their children there

  • Gov. Ron DeSantis is expected to sign the bill into law

  • PODCAST | Vouchers vs. Scholarships: Debate over expanding school choice

The Republican-crafted proposal passed the Florida House last week and is all but certain to be signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

It would combine the state's five existing school choice scholarship programs into two voucher programs, one covering special needs students and the other for students from traditionally low-income households. Under the legislation, the annual family income threshold for the second program would be raised to $100,000.

"This is a choice. This is a choice we're making. Do we believe in our families? Do we believe in our parents making the best decisions for our children?​" the bill's sponsor, Sen. Manny Diaz (R-Hialeah), asked the chamber before Monday's 25-14 vote.

The measure allocates $200 million in general revenue funding to the two voucher programs, allowing as many as 60,000 more students to receive scholarships that can be used for private schooling.

But Democrats warned it would also reduce benefits for more than 90% of special needs students currently enrolled in the state's Gardiner Scholarship program.

And Senate Minority Leader Gary Farmer (D-Lighthouse Point) said that's not all.

"This is a scam. It's a bad scam," he argued during Monday's debate, noting that private institutions receiving voucher funding aren't subject to the same strenuous student testing and teacher evaluation standards as their public school counterparts. "This standalone category of schools being funded by the state is entirely unaccountable. Parents have no way of knowing, are their children really learning?"

​Republicans argue private schools are, in fact, accountable to parents, who can choose whether to send their children to them with vouchers in hand.