At the end of a 15-minute hearing on Tuesday to approve Flagler County schools’ tentative property tax and budget for the coming fiscal year–a budget that includes the siphoning of $17 million to subsidize private school “vouchers” for almost 2,000 students, with the district’s dollars–School Board member Janie Ruddy delivered a brief speech decrying the erosion of public dollars for public schools, and addressing its consequences.
In reply, Will Furry, who chairs the board, delivered a rejoinder in defense of vouchers and “parental choice.” The two points of view encapsulated the tension pulling at school budgets in Flagler County and the rest of Florida since 2023. That year, then-Speaker of the House Paul Renner’s initiative expanded private-school vouchers to all students regardless of income passed the legislature and was signed by Gov. DeSantis.
The program is rapidly eroding public school enrollment and diminishing public school funding. The voucher program accounts for $4 billion in public dollars shifted to private hands this year, $17 million in Flagler County.
Ruddy’s and Furry’s statements follow, unedited but for minor stylistic adjustments. School Board members Derek Barrs, Christy Chong and Lauren Ramirez remained silent. The statements are available on video here or below..
Janie Ruddy’s statement:
While our local millage [or property tax rate] has been now set at the lowest in our county’s history, on the surface, that may seem like a win for us taxpayers. But the reality is more complex and concerning. While our schools face inflationary cost increases, higher employer contributions to [the Florida Retirement System] and the challenge of educating students across diverse pathways, we are simultaneously being asked to do more with fewer resources.
Additionally, the expansion of vouchers now allows families to direct the same level of per- student funding to private or home-schooling settings, even though those settings do not provide the same level of accountability or services as public schools. As public school enrollment declines due to the shift, we lose funding and economies of scale while still being required to maintain staffing, facilities and programs for the children who remain.
This is not more efficient. It’s actually more expensive for the taxpayer over time. This program marketed as parental choice, expends massive amounts of taxpayer money to support a choice that was never at risk. Parents have always had the choice for private school, and in recent decades, the choice to home school. We’ve also openly encouraged school choice to other public schools if a child’s local school was not meeting the academic standards set forth by the state.
Never has a government entity program spent so much on a program to provide a right that had already existed.
There’s another layer to consider that many of my community members value deeply, and that is local control. With the state taking a greater role in school funding and policy, we lose the ability to tailor decisions to our own community needs. Our local tax dollars are being redistributed across the state, supporting voucher recipients and private institutions in other counties, rather than directly benefiting the students and families here in Flagler. This shift undermines the self governance and fiscal accountability at the local level.
Public education remains one of the most critical public services we offer as a community. I hope we can agree that transparent funding, local decision-making and strategic investment in our children are values we all share. These changes affect not only our schools but the future of our entire community. And I urge every citizen, whether you’re retired or currently raising families, to stay engaged and informed as we navigate these critical issues.
A strong public education system opens opportunities for children to change the trajectory of their life, creates a skilled workforce that we all rely upon, and great schools increase property values and reduce crime. At the end of the day, public education and the use of taxes affects all of us, but the state is failing to spend money in line with our values.
Will Furry’s statement:
One thing that I do want to highlight is that, yes, we are seeing an increase in vouchers, but basically what that means is that the school choice program is working for parents, and that’s something that we have to take into consideration. Parents are in control of their educational dollars now, and public schools are no longer the monopoly, and the onus is on us as an organization to present to parents that we are the best choice, if we are the best choice.
And Flagler schools is a choice, and we have resources and programs and great things to offer that homeschooling and private school just can’t compete with. And I think it’s important for our organization to message that to the parents out there and show them that there are options at our schools, whether they are full-time, hybrid, part-time. There are different models of the way education is going to look right now.
But for those communities that are struggling with their schools and educational outcomes, no longer does a zip code determine the education of a child. Now, I think this is the most equitable effort that has been put out there, because now even students that are in impoverished neighborhoods can go to private schools. So they may not have had that option if they had the financial constraints. So if that is the best choice for them, the parents decide that.
But in Flagler, we have an amazing organization here. We have amazing educators. We have an amazing leadership team, and I believe that we are the best choice in Flagler, and I think parents are going to see that as time goes on.
Faster than expected says
Haha the cons defunded schools ,mission accomplished. It’s up to the non terrorist to figure out how to educate their kids and ensure there are standards and not racist Nazi propoganda being taught! Enjoy the collapse!
Stop the stain says
Another republican scheme to enrich themselves and screw normal people over! It’s a very long list! Isn’t defunding public education just evil wrong and downright domestic terror! Cheeto pedo and his cult are getting loaded with stock market manipulation! The age of terror is here!
Endless dark money says
So wait people actually thought this wasn’t just a defund kids education plan! I bet those same people watch faux news propaganda exclusively! Welcome to Murikkka where there is a reality and then a made up one the stain and his cult make up to fit their child predatory needs! Hide that data! That will help lol! I find it comical the people to actively protect and support a child predator happen to be the same people that defunded schools! They can deflect but it’s 1000% true and sad and disgusting! Molesters are granted amnesty! Maga
JimboXYZ says
“But in Flagler, we have an amazing organization here. We have amazing educators. We have an amazing leadership team, and I believe that we are the best choice in Flagler, and I think parents are going to see that as time goes on.”
Same tired playbook of empty rhetoric. In real time they’ve see $ 17 million in a vote of no confidence in this narcissistic, self aggrandizement for amazing that is anything but amazing. That’s what the data shos and the denial of those facts are as amazing & astonishing as the self aggrandizement. The costs of Bidenomics aka the inflation economy that is always a day late & a dollar short of being exceptional. One could award that $ 17 million more and end up with the same results. We all saw the show along the way. The coup of a superintendent, any others ousted that were already in those positions for successor’s for higher salaries of DEI&B, to the racist assembly at Bunnell Elementary. We’ve had Principal resignations & reshuffles of the same deck of administrative cards. We see increasing demand for SRO’s and none of that educated a single student any better than before ? The US tax dollar buys less & less for purchasing power. Be more efficient, get inflation in order & we’ll find there’s plenty of money to educate students. Anyone think the growth plan made the quality of life better here ? Instead we have the usual con artists spinning the same promises that more budget will produce anything better than what the data shows. That has to be egg on the faces of anyone spinning the facts for more budget. Just me Flagler Schools needs to right size & optimize the budget they gave rather than seek to tax us even more for gains that simply aren’t there. That utopian dream of a fantasy that there’s perfection in education of a flawed human race that is incapable of ever being perfectly educated for educational efficiency.
JimboXYZ says
Another question ? How much of this voucher drain is related to the school rezoning that happened when all of this school over capacity of growth was the panic ? We aren’t reading as much about school fights for riots are we ? All that social unrest, Covid lies, inflation of the last 4-5 years. How sad to see there are still those trying to sell that as a cost justification and they present the real data that doesn’t support their spin ? It’s exactly as I have been saying for 5 years, every 2 years of better data replaced by 2 years of inflated data & somehow that becomes the new accepted normal. This year they rolled out the Tariff real vs threat era of a next round of inflation. That’s going to be the Trump-Vance era of economic con artistry. At least Trump-Vance has resulted in more stable prices. we still have yet to pay anything near what Biden-Harris gallons of gasoline cost us. For now fuel prices seem to have stagnated between $ 3-3.25/gallon. And that’s what education needs to do, stabilize into a budget that produces steady results. The test scores that indicate improvement have nothing to do with tax dollars spent, it’s the application of a student to learn. We can give the school board a bigger budget, but that won’t give a teacher/student another minute of class time to learn & improve. That extra time has always been home study, another hour in the school library after school as individual or group study after school has adjourned for the day for no more classes.
Just say'n says
30 years of group think in public school and a loosing record to prove it.Give something else a try.If some public schools in blue states don’t even require teacher to pass the same tests they give to students how in the world is that going to help anyone?Why do places like Chicago have a waiting list for minority children a mile long for vouchers. There trapped in a system that doesn’t care about the children just the union interests.Lower standards produce lower standard children.
Jim says
Janie Ruddy nailed it. I think she hit all the key points and her statements/arguments are well-reasoned and effective.
Will Furry just showed why he is not someone who should be on the school board at all, much less chairman. It is clear his desire is to see as many students as possible leave the school system and go elsewhere, taking tax dollars with them. As school board chairman (and member), his priority should be to do everything possible to see that students want to be in the public school system. I didn’t see anything in his statement to make me think that’s anywhere near a priority to him.
So now we head down the abyss for public schools. After all these many years of the government mandating a functional, reliable and responsible school system for all children – regardless of financial status – we are at the precipice of a downward spiral where funding dries up, opportunity evaporates and the schools become nearly non-functional as preparation for higher education or for life in general. But if you’ve got some money, just send your kid to a private school! (I see where a lot of private schools have raised their tuition in line with the money now being funneled from our tax dollars. So, Mr. Furry, so much for the “even students that are in impoverished neighborhoods can go to private schools” BS that you’re pushing.)
Education is being wrecked by the government from both the state and federal level. I’ve got a grandson that will grow up under this looming disaster. Fortunately for him, his family has enough money to provide him a private education if that’s all that’s available. Most kids don’t have that kind of support so this is going to really hurt a lot of kids that absolutely do not deserve this.
I just hope when elections are next held, Will Furry and Christy Chong either don’t run or get crushed in an election. Flagler voters need to send a message.
Standing in the Middle of Palm Coast Parkway says
Mr Furry. School choice may be ‘working’ for parents. But as an elected school board official, isn’t your role supposed to represent what is best for the children’s education? You were elected to represent the children of Flagler County and provide guidance to the teaching professionals delivering those ‘resources programs and great things’. I care about children in our Flagler County zip codes. I hope you do too.
Merrill Shapiro says
Will Furry’s contention that “the school choice program is working for parents,” may or may not be true. But Furry wasn’t elected to represent parents (who, only account for 20% of the households in Flagler County when counting households with children between the ages of 4 and 18) but rather Flagler County taxpayers, also known as “We the People!” Flagler County taxpayers, “We the People” are happy to have parents make choices, but very unhappy about being called upon to pay for those choices. We’ve created a school system of excellence. If a parent wishes to choose a different setting, they should do it the old -fashioned way and pay for it themselves!
The State of Florida is required, by our Florida Constitution, Article IX, Section 1 to provide “a uniform, efficient, safe, secure, and high quality system of free public schools that allows students to obtain a high quality education.” Flagler County Schools, with its very capable cadre of educators and support staff, does exactly that. If those who feel, mistakenly, that Flagler County Schools does not provide “a uniform, efficient, safe, secure, and high quality system of free public schools that allows students to obtain a high quality education” they should not ask us, “We the People,” who are already paying for our very fine school system, to pay for their choice.
Jason says
Odd to see so many people complaining about giving people money that are likely themselves benefiting from public assistance. Money for me but not for thee. I guess we should only be giving handouts to non-whites and “undocumented migrants”? Blatant hypocrisy.
Laurel says
The only “choice,” on many topics, the far right wants, is for their own, not for all. Otherwise, we would have all been able to vote on it.
They don’t want equity for children.
They don’t want diversity in the classes.
They certainly don’t want inclusion, that has been made abundantly clear.
They want a white, single-minded, single religion overreach of governing, in the name of “choice” though that has actually been available all along.
If people really cared about community, they would make sure those tax dollars would be used to improve the public school system, not destroy it.