As of 2023-2024, charter schools in Florida should participate in the new universal voucher system rather than operate as bastard children of public school districts. Charter schools were created to use public school district money and resources to slowly kill the traditional public school. And maybe provide a better education in the process. But the process has changed, and charter schools really need to be funded solely by vouchers rather than public schools districts at this point.
Parents are given the choice to use available vouchers for their kids to attend private schools. The vouchers pay some or all of the tuition, and efficient private schools don't need to charge parents more than the voucher amount. Therefore, if charter schools are both effective and efficient, vouchers should be able to pay for operating expenses. In fact, taxpayers also need to stop paying for charter school building improvements. The classical academy that fired a principal for showing classical nude artwork is a perfect example of charter schools being more like private schools than public schools, and it's a good time for these schools to stop using the public welfare system of school districts and prove they can compete against the traditional private school.
Private schools in Florida have been at a disadvantage to charter schools for years, but that really needs to change if vouchers are being used. If we are saying that it's ok for public money to pay for religious schools, then the same money is what other special schools created to compete with public schools deserve. I know, some people would argue for vouchers also for public schools, but public schools do need to provide for busing, lunches, special education, etc. If private schools and charter schools are going to be able to selectively exclude students, then vouchers make sense for those schools. All private religious schools need to come together to pressure the state to even the playing field between their own schools and charter schools that have mostly been operated as private schools that receive public money.
