By Colleen Conklin
If we really care about efficiency and outcomes in education, we should start with the one system–the only system- legally bound to educate every child, open its books, follow Sunshine laws, publish results, and answer to voters—our public schools. They are America’s great equalizer, the engine room of our democracy, where kids of different incomes, races, abilities, and beliefs learn side by side. That’s not “just education.” That’s democracy in motion.
And that’s precisely why the current voucher experiment—built on selective enrollment, hidden finances, and zero public oversight—is the opposite: it fractures the common schoolhouse, privatizes accountability, and poses a real threat to the democratic fabric that public education holds together.
Florida’s voucher/Education Savings Accounts experiment flipped accountability on its head. Billions in taxpayer dollars now flow to private operators who don’t have to:
- Report standardized results publicly,
- take every student (ESE, homeless, disciplinary issues, mid-year transfers),
- follow open records/open meetings rules, or
- undergo the same independent audits that districts must.
If we’re serious about “efficiency,” we have to follow the money—and the data.
- Florida’s voucher tab is exploding with little sunlight.
The voucher expansion (what was known legislatively as House Bill 1) is projected to cost taxpayers about $3.9 to 4 billion just this year. Step Up For Students, the private group that administers almost all of these funds, is legally allowed to keep up to 3 percent of that ($120 million) for “administrative expenses.” Meanwhile, districts must publish audited financials and operate under Florida’s Sunshine and public-records laws. Voucher schools and so-called Scholarship Funding Organizations (SFOs) do not.
- Most “new” voucher dollars are not helping kids leave “failing” public schools.
When Florida went to a universal voucher system in 2023, extending eligibility for vouchers worth $8,000 to $35,000 a year to all, without restrictions, 122,895 new students signed up. Only 13 percent had been in public schools. 69 percent were already in private schools. Another 18 percent were brand-new kindergarteners.
If you do the math for Flagler County schools, $17 million has been diverted to private schools. However, of that, over 87 percent of those students receiving vouchers never attended Flagler schools. They are children who had always attended private schools or were being homeschooled. They are now being provided with vouchers to offset tuition. Most private schools have doubled their tuition or significantly increased it due to the availability of the vouchers. That was to be expected. Pretty soon private schools will have the highest-paid teachers and all the bells and whistles, while public schools will be starved of funding.
- Accountability gap: The real “fraud and abuse” risk.
Public schools are audited, follow Sunshine laws, report test data, employ certified teachers, meet class-size rules, serve every child—including ESE and homeless students—and get school grades. Voucher schools receiving public dollars don’t have to do most of that. There is no comparable, statewide academic reporting or financial disclosure requirement. How do we measure return on investment (ROI) without data?
You’re worried about “fraud & abuse”? Then why give a pass that huge part of the system that operates in the shadows? Prove me wrong: require voucher schools and the organizations skimming administrative fees to publish audited finances and disaggregated achievement data just like districts do. Same dollars, same rules.
Scholarship Funding Organizations (like Step Up for Students) keep administrative fees, yet their books aren’t open the way a district’s are. If “fraud & abuse” is the concern, why exempt these private intermediaries from the same scrutiny we demand of elected school boards?
- Democracy.
Public schools are the great equalizer—the one institution required to take every child, regardless of disability, income, language, religion, or behavior. They are also the civic glue where kids from different backgrounds learn to live in a pluralistic society. Undermining that common space with a shadow system that can pick and choose students—and hide its books—weakens the fabric of our democracy, not just our budgets.
And let’s drop the D.C. blame game. Tallahassee and state legislatures wrote these voucher laws, raided FEFP dollars (Florida Education Finance Program, the state’s education funding system), and starved district capital budgets while loosening oversight on private recipients.
If local projections were off in 2021, fix the modeling. Don’t use it as an excuse to gut public schools’ accountability while expanding an unaccountable parallel system. The legislature—not Biden, nor Trump—controls the FEFP formula and voucher rules. Florida has shifted billions into vouchers in the last two sessions. That’s a state policy choice. If local schools feel squeezed, it’s largely because dollars are being systematically diverted from the districts that must take all students, every day.
Throwing money blindly is wasteful. Throwing public money into a black box is worse. Public education is the thread that stitches a diverse nation together—economically, civically, and morally. We should strengthen it, not siphon it off to a system that won’t even show us the receipts.
It’s time to wake up and stop electing people who couldn’t care less about transparency and accountability. It’s time to stop the grift.
It’s time to wake up and stop electing people who couldn’t care less about transparency and accountability. It’s time to stop the grift—because history will mark this voucher free-for-all as one of the biggest scams ever pulled on American taxpayers. Yes, K-12 needs real fixes—curriculum, support staff, teacher pay, facilities—but don’t be blinded by that truth: siphoning public dollars into an unaccountable shadow system is not reform, it’s sabotage.
Dr. Colleen Conklin, a Flagler Beach resident, was a Flagler County School Board member from 2000 to 2024.
Dennis C Rathsam says
POPPYCOCK, With all the negative publicity, the revolving doors of fanatics, YOU wonder why parents seek a better alturnative. A gambler will tell you, “Shakey money, never wins…This school board shakes like a rattle snakes tail. Now lets start the finger pointing Will
Jake from state farm says
At some point, we stopped treating schools as places for academic learning—and started treating them like daycare centers. Schools were built to educate, not to raise children. Yet more and more, they’re being asked to do just that: feed students multiple meals a day, teach basic life skills, offer emotional support, and act as the only structure in a child’s life.
This isn’t about blaming teachers—they’re already stretched thin and underpaid. The problem is bigger than the classroom. We’ve blurred the line between public education and parental responsibility. When did it become the school’s job to feed, discipline, and raise kids?
Public education is essential, but it was never meant to replace parenting. If we want stronger schools, we need to demand more from families—not keep piling more on teachers.
This is exactly why so many families are walking away from the public school system. Schools shouldn’t be treated like just another form of public assistance. Parents must step up and take ownership of raising their kids.
Rick G says
Excellent comment Dr. Conklin. Thanks for sharing this. I was wondering how deep this voucher crap was going.
John says
It was all a gop scam to enrich themselves! School funding has been cut for decades by republicans then the orange terror brought the final nail in the coffin. We must take the country back from these terrorist that protect their pedophile leader!
Nancy Skadden says
Yay! You are missed Coleen.
Conklin for Mayor!!!
Deborah Coffey says
Bravo, Colleen! You are spot on in every sentence.
Pogo says
@All true
… and jeb bush, et al., dug the grave. The last time this benighted thinking among the Hoi polloi was normal — they weren’t on the road to serfdom — they were living it as feudal vassals (very few) and peasants (all the rest); they’re slouching down a blind alley that’s the dead end they dread.
This isn’t the first dark age of humanity; but damn well may be the last.
Stephen PLAYE says
Ms. Conklin, Thank you for that powerful piece.
You have put a spotlight on the shameful state-level grift that is stealing the future from our children.
Nancy N. says
Scholarships “up to $35k” aren’t open to all. The only way a child gets $35k in scholarship is that they have to have the absolute highest matrix score on the FES-UA scholarship – meaning very profound medical and/or developmental needs. Eligibility for that scholarship was not affected by the expansion. In fact, many parents with students in the FES-UA program prior to the expansion (like myself) advocated AGAINST the expansion because we knew it would erode inevitably cause problems for many reasons to have universal eligibility.
As someone whose high needs autistic child has thrived the last ten years learning with the scholarship (and who was profoundly failed by Flagler Schools’ inclusion program)…I can say that the scholarship has provided opportunities for my child to grow that she would never have had otherwise. It has meant so much to have the ability to get her therapy, tools, and activities that have helped her.
That said, I have a profound understanding that the state legislature did the right thing (helping kids like mine) for the wrong reason (idealogical ones). Kids like mine were used as a trojan horse to get their foot in the door to undermine public schools with vouchers for all. None of these decisions are being made with kids’ best interests at heart. It’s all about politics.
Jim says
Well said. And more reason why I feel we lost one of the best school board members that Flagler has had.
I think that the lack of openness and auditing of where these funds are going are two of the biggest issues. How can anyone complain about “waste and fraud” yet do nothing to assure that these funds are being used as intended?
I also 100% agree that all private schools should be transparent with their results for all testing done. Let’s see how they stack up to public schools.
And, finally, I’ll make the argument that since public schools must take everyone, even those with learning and/or behavior issues, doesn’t that make the argument that they deserve more funding for that? If private schools get to avoid this issue, give additional funding to public schools. That seems like a no brainer to me.
Dr. Colleen Conklin is also correct about the fact that we all should be more attentive to who we put in elected office in order to try to stop stupid things like this. Unfortunately, we’re asking an electorate that has recently put Norris in as mayor and Fine in as our congressional rep. Not good signs that we’re capable of sorting through the pile for the good candidates.
Joe Urgese says
Thank you Dr. Conklin. Well said! Hope this hits home.
Greg says
First off, I not suggesting Palm Coast did any of what I’m saying here. Schools brought this upon themselves.
Stop trying to indoctrinate children
Stop the DEI crap
Teach reading, writing, and math
Stop the secret of helping kids to be a different sex if they want to be something different
Stop hiding this from the parents, you are NOT the parents
Reality says
I’ll be blunt. This is a genuinely insane commentary that backfires. Between the scholarship recipients and the parents and families of the children, there are literally millions of us benefitting. This is an unhinged screed that has no reality to our lived experience. It demonstrates exactly why we want our children as far away from people like you in positions of authority over them.
None of you that so viciously hate school choice ever do any soul searching about why families make the choices we do. You simply don’t care. You couch your language in moral concern but you have no morality whatsoever. It just feels like you want to hurt my children and my family, punish us for not being obedient and slavish to your system, the one that you failed to lead with any foresight.
We aren’t going back. There’s nothing you can do about it. The pages of Flagler Live are filled with deeply unwell people who don’t understand my children’s needs. We’ll take the state help and build our own beautiful school systems. Stay away from my children, freaks.
Nanna says
@Greg,
Amen! Parents have the right to expect their children to be educated and not indoctrinated. Colleen knows this. And yes, she is one of the best. Bring the standards up, stop the one size fits all indoctrination, and the families will return. And keep the politics out of both school and the board meetings. These kids have enough pressure without the politics. The world won’t come to a halt if you stop teaching sex education. That should be up to the parents. When you interfere, they should have the right to step in. Our current system brought all this on themselves. Students dropping out should tell you you’re doing a very poor job.
Laura H says
You are right, schools need reform but nearly 50 years of that mantra and still it’s same headlines and conversations. Parents, like me, have had enough.
America spends more money per child to educate yet outcomes are undeniable dismal on the global scale. Instead of throwing more and more money at the same broken system, I applaud Florida and other states for this “new” ideology of attaching money to the child and letting parents decide what education model to utilize that best suits their child’s needs.
From a return on my taxpayer investment standpoint, I guarantee that educating the average child for an $8k+ voucher program is still cheaper than any public school can offer and if parents are happy and it’s working then union bosses need to STFU!
Even last 10 years on a local level we watched Flagler school board members excited about investing in million dollar buildings, multiple misguided property investments, hiring (and training and firing) multiple new superintendents & funding what top heavy percentage of district and upper school management staff, paying out how many lawsuits because of conduct unbecoming and hey they still own a swim center costing how much money BUT now they are energized, demanding “transparency” and concerned all about the outcome of MY child? Sorry (not sorry!) but that ship has sailed and the gold you claim was looted from your coffers is only in desire because it’s no longer in your control.
Laurel says
Greg: How about I pay $1.60 per year for PBS, and pay $1.60 per year for your private schools, and you do the same?
Mary Fusco says
@ Jake from State Farm. Finally someone who speaks the truth!
Pappy says
Bullsh@t. Has nothing to do with democracy. It has to do with bullying, fighting, poor teacher pay which has led to poor teachers (not all of them), lack of teaching the basics of reading, writing and arithmetic and worrying too much about catering to 1% that want socioeconomics to determine how they treat students. Teachers will never know the children better than the parents, but people like Conklin refuse to accept that. Only a liberal rag like Flagler Live would allow such a commentary. Come on Pierre, I challenge you to offer equal space and access to someone with opposing views.
Standing in the Middle of Palm Coast Parkway says
Greg. You want to ‘stop the DEI crap’? Then start to parent your children at home. Teach your own children about compassion and empathy. Don’t rely on a religious institutions to do that. Teach them civics and that there are laws that apply to everyone and that are enforced by law enforcement and courts. Respect the feelings and rights of others. That they shouldn’t bully people. That elections are not popularity contests and that you should vote for the people because of what they say and do; and not depend on a party affiliation. Teach your children about right and wrong and that actions have consequences. That people get vaccinated to avoid getting ill and to help stop spreading that illness to others. That’s not happening here. Too many anti-vaccine people who know only what some non-medical talking head on TV told them. Too many impatient drivers speeding along our roadways and ignoring traffic signs and signals. Too many pseudo-homeowners itching to stand their ground.
Just say NO to public education says
The Florida Lottery was sold to Florida voters as the way to completely fund Florida schools and education. That obviously never happened. Where’s that money going???? (the Florida lottery money). Another lie put over on Florida voters.
Remember that Ms Conklin?
The public school system is an outdated model left over from the early 1900s industrial age. It’s time is over. People don’t want it any longer because it doesn’t work for the type of society we have today. That includes getting a college education,which is also an outdated model.
By the way, I have a bachelor’s masters and doctorate, all in heavy sciences, math and business, so I am qualified with my comments.
Deborah Coffey says
@ Greg
None of what you’ve written is correct. Obviously, it would help you to find the truth if you visited several schools and observed in the classrooms. Too much FOX “news” and MAGAworld broadcasts are not good for anyone.
Atwp says
Thanks for the story. Never liked the fact that public school money went to private schools. Always thought my people would be neglected but my tax dollars are being used to support the voucher system.
Surrounded by a Flock of sheep says
Shame on all you Colleen Conklin groupies who are calling for her to run for mayor or lament her absence from the school board after she was there for 24 years. You all must be the very same voters who, like a cult, will elect politicians year after year, decade after decade, until they are in a nursing home. Every position in every office should be term limited. That being said, the school system in Flagler is a bloated top heavy mess. I had my daughter in the public schools for 9 years…no more. Get rid of all the administration that does so little and use that money for real teachers.
Laurel says
It’s hilarious that people in this extremely white county are worried about DEI and migrants. People can be manipulated rather easily.
GOP or PPK says
Republicans only protect pedophiles and fetuses they could care less if children starve or have no health care ! Cheeto pedo ended the department of education without any sort of replacement cut lunch programs, money for food banks, on and on daily terror! Even destroyed millions of dollars of food to ensure it didn’t go to a starving person! How Christian!
Ron’s camp contractors says
Haha national birth rates hit all time low!floods and temperatures at all time highs! Isn’t that great??!!
Laurel says
So “Reality” said:
“You simply don’t care. You couch your language in moral concern but you have no morality whatsoever. It just feels like you want to hurt my children and my family, punish us for not being obedient and slavish to your system, the one that you failed to lead with any foresight.
We aren’t going back. There’s nothing you can do about it. The pages of Flagler Live are filled with deeply unwell people who don’t understand my children’s needs. We’ll take the state help and build our own beautiful school systems. Stay away from my children, freaks.”
For starters, Reality, check on your own grammar.
What a hateful comment to make, ending with “Stay away from my children, freaks.” How dare you make such statements about people you don’t know? What the hell is wrong with you?
Look, I have paid thousands of my tax dollars to the schools here in Florida, over the years, and I have no children. But, I believe it takes a village to raise a child. These days, I do not want to spend my earned money for your children’s religious teachings, for private industry, or for home schooling. Yet, your party is so cheap, it does not want to pay $1.60 per person, per year, for PBS and NPR, claiming liberal bias. Hypocrites.
Y’all come down here, change the state, and call us “unwell.” Go back, please. I hate to say it, but I no longer have any desire to meet new people here, as they have become unrecognizable. Just mean and selfish. Take, take, take.
Your comment was the vicious one.
You don’t like this state and its schools? Opt out. Leave my tax dollars for its intended use: public schools.
Jason says
The real reason teachers and school administrators are smearing this program is they don’t want to loose power. The public school sector is controlled by massive Teachers Unions that ultimately just want to remain in control. Private schools are not controlled by Teachers Unions and that is a threat. They know that school choice and voucher programs will force competition and they know they simply cannot compete because the entire system is broken because of the unions. The same unions that gleefully shut down the nations schools during COVID when children and teens essentially had zero risk should be a reminder of the lengths the unions will go to in order to retain control. These teachers only believe in one form of “democracy”–then one that keeps your children dependent on the state and in turn votes to keep one party in office so the “benefits” never dry up. The gig is up.
Reality Hurts says
Laurel – happy to dissect your insane response line by line.
“For starters, Reality, check on your own grammar.”
-Immediately opening with a comment about typos is exactly why no one wants to be around you. Immediate defeat. You aren’t even trying. Do you think this works on anyone? It’s pathetic and beneath me.
“What a hateful comment to make, ending with “Stay away from my children, freaks.” How dare you make such statements about people you don’t know? What the hell is wrong with you?”
-I know Colleen and I know plenty of “public school education” advocates like you and her. You are all the same. You all think you have about 50 IQ points more than you actually have. And you all think you know what’s best for MY CHILDREN more than ME. You want to CONTROL THEM, and you are open about it. Freaks is being kind to people like you.
“Look, I have paid thousands of my tax dollars to the schools here in Florida, over the years, and I have no children. But, I believe it takes a village to raise a child.”
-Makes perfect sense you don’t have children – talking about something with expertise you literally have no experience with, very typical of your kind. I have paid thousands in tax dollars to the schools here in Florida and I will continue to do so as long as property and other state taxes exist. I do have children and I do raise them in a village. My village is not your village. I do not believe in the same values as you and I do not want people like you near them. Keep proving my point.
“These days, I do not want to spend my earned money for your children’s religious teachings, for private industry, or for home schooling. Yet, your party is so cheap, it does not want to pay $1.60 per person, per year, for PBS and NPR, claiming liberal bias. Hypocrites.”
-I am a registered NPA. You made an assumption about me that is not correct because of your rage and lack of emotional control when you meet people like me who know exactly how stupid and evil you are. Which you admit in your post – you want to strip us of our ability to raise and educate our children based on our values. You want to force us to do what you say.
My child doesn’t attend a religious school, but thanks for putting your religious bigotry on full display. By the way, speaking of private industry – who builds public schools? Who supplies their equipment and curriculum? Is there a “public” industry doing those things we aren’t aware of? Do you see how dumb you sound to people who actually have children? Public schools literally do not exist without “private industry.” Again, this is exactly why we don’t want you teaching our children. No idea what you’re talking about re: NPR and PBS, but has nothing to do with me, thanks.
“Y’all come down here, change the state, and call us “unwell.” Go back, please.I hate to say it, but I no longer have any desire to meet new people here, as they have become unrecognizable. Just mean and selfish. Take, take, take.”
-My family has been in Florida since 1890. Where are you suggesting I go back to, please be very precise? I thought you were a “progressive” – now you want to send me back somewhere?? Where do you want to send me? Do you want to put me in prison? Tell me exactly where you think I belong, and be very specific. Do you want to use police force to make me go somewhere else from where my family has been for 135 years? Aren’t people like you going around calling that fascism, or nazism, or something else? Please enlighten us about EXACTLY the punishment you want to give me for not complying with you.
“Your comment was the vicious one.”
-After dissecting this post line by line it’s clear you’re an unhinged lunatic. Vicious is what you deserve – especially with such a vicious post yourself.
“You don’t like this state and its schools? Opt out. Leave my tax dollars for its intended use: public schools.”
-I’m in love with this state – clearly far more than you. Based on your post, hate for this state flows through you. The state is guided by a constitution, and that constitution vests authority with the legislature to set policies. They have chosen to let education money follow a student where they go to school – public, private, charter, homeschool. So quite literally based on our constitutional rights – “your” tax dollars are going exactly where they’re supposed to. The fact you don’t understand this is another in the long list of reasons why I’d never want my children anywhere near you. You are not intelligent.
Hope people are still reading these comments and see what a fool you are. Even if no one is but Pierre – at least everyone knows what fools both of you are. Like I said – stay away from my kids, FREAK.
Lance Alred says
Over 29,000 FL parents took vouchers and sent their kids to public schools anyway. These parents “double dipped” taking money from school districts that ended up educating their kids.
That’s over $300,000 million. That money needs to be collected and given back to the districts.
Jacey Jones says
I taught my children to read inthe 1980s and 1990s using McGuffy Primer books dated from 1890 to 1920. They walked into public school kindergarten knowing how to read, as did I when I started kindergarten and 1st grade overseas. How many ‘privately’ taught children have learned how to read at the age of 4 and 5 today?
As a relative of mine wisely stated – Union General hero and Senator John Logan said (who knew his history and could read latin and greek like the forefathers):
“Men called statesmen are apt to believe that they control the masses; but when the masses, whether right or wrong, become aroused on any question pertaining to government, the men known as statesmen are as powerless to control them as they are to direct the storm; and so the leading men, or statesmen, as they are called, join their respective sides and add fury to the desires of the people. Aristides did not control Athens, nor Xerxes, Persia, in that fullest sense which brought the destinies of nations into conflict. The common Greeks and the common Persians, who had in some way learned in their ignorance to hate and despise each other, made those furious wars possible, if not necessary. So it will always be. The instincts, as we sometimes call them, – and these are scarcely anything but the transmitted notions and sentiments of one generation accumulating power in another, – will sway the populace, and influence the policy of rulers. They will, by their desires, force the government into unwise measures. If they are selfish, they will compel a selfish, and perhaps an aggressive, policy. If they are vicious, the government cannot long maintain a consistent course of justice and honor. If they are divided by sectional jealousies and trained to hostile feelings, can there be union of sentiment and action?
In our own land, today, the grossly ignorant are numerous enough to control the affairs of the Nation. They hold the balance of power, if they could only unite. But while they do not unite as a class, their influence may do worse than form a union among themselves; for any apparent attempt to form a party of the ignorant, would undoubtedly be met by a combination of the intelligent. Their wishes and desires, their prejudices and jealousies, may suggest to demagogues opportunities to gain selfish ends, and plunge us into still greater sectional strifes. We need, as a Nation so extended, to foster homogeneous instruction in our hundred different climates and regions. The one grand thing to do in every one of these regions, each larger than most of the nations of the world, is to secure the uniformity of intelligence and virtue. We need no other.
If our people in the pine woods of Maine or Michigan; if those in the mines of the Carolinas and Virginia, in Colorado and Nevada, in California and Alaska; if the cultivators of the farms in Ohio and Dakota, of the plantations of Georgia and Louisiana; if the herders of the ranches of Texas and New Mexico, – can all be rendered intelligent enough to see the excellence of virtue, and be made noble enough to practice its self-restraining laws; if they can be taught wisdom enough to appreciate the ten thousand advantages of a national Union embracing a hundred climates and capable of sustaining a myriad of mutually helpful industries, freely interchanging their products and acting on one another, as mutual forces, to stimulate every one to its highest capacity of rival endeavor, – then we would be sure of a stable Union, an immortality of glory.
Is it not, now, easy to see that the education of the young, on one common plan, with one common purpose, – the people’s children taught by the people themselves, – in schools made by the people themselves, yet in some noble sense patronized by the Nation, and supervised by the Nation, in some proper manner, will aid in making on this continent a nation such as we hope to be, and what the foreshadowings of Providence seem to indicate we ought to be, the one great and mighty Nation of the world? We have the same glorious Constitution. Let us all, from highest to lowest, from richest to poorest, from blackest to whitest, learn to read its words as they are written, and then we shall be most likely to interpret its provisions alike, and administer its enactments alike, in justice and honor.
We all read the same Bible, and claim to practice the same golden rule. Let us instruct all the youth whom the beneficent Father gives us, natives of this land or born on other shores, in the grand principles of morality which it inculcates, and in all the science which it has fostered. We all inherit, from our motherland, the same invaluable code of common laws and institutions. Let us, if need be, be careful all to obtain enough knowledge to read and understand the laws which the Legislatures of the several States shall make, and the decisions, in accordance with that common law, which their courts shall render. We have received from our ancestors, and from the present generation of philosophic scientists, a body of knowledge and wisdom, the worth of which even genius can scarcely estimate. Let that be given to every child that breathes our atmosphere, in substantially the same spelling book and primer, in schools as good among the snows of Aroostook as in marts of New York, Boston, or Charleston; as free on the shores of Puget Sound as on the prairies of Illinois, and as well taught in the rice-fields of the South as on the hills of Connecticut. Then we shall be “one and inseparable, now and forever.””
https://www.jalc.edu/admissions/1882-john-a-logan-speech/