A state audit of Florida’s school voucher program has identified accountability issues with funds distributed to parents who chose homeschooling or private charter schools, according to findings presented to lawmakers this week.

The education system audit estimated that Florida may have made overpayments for approximately 30,000 students, and the state sent $47 million to families for private schools when their children were actually enrolled in public schools.

The problem stems from a lack of verification systems. The state currently provides parents $8,929 per child for homeschooling or private charter schools, but lacks a mechanism to track if those children subsequently enroll in public schools or to recover the funds.

Hillsborough County School Board member Nadia Combs noted that without proper checks and balances, some parents could receive voucher money and still send their children to public schools. School Board Chair Karen Perez said the state needs better tracking systems for both the funds and students.

The audit examined funding accountability challenges for the 2024-2025 school year and found missed cross-check opportunities and ineffective survey processes, resulting in funding inequities in some public schools.

In 2024-2025, the voucher program distributed $3.17 billion in Family Empowerment Scholarship vouchers and recorded another $804.5 million in scholarship programs funded through corporate tax credits, totaling nearly $4 billion. The program serves approximately 500,000 students after expanding in 2023 to include all families regardless of income.

Legislators approved a $47 million budget amendment to compensate traditional public schools that were shortchanged by accounting inaccuracies.

The Florida Department of Education said it is working on improved strategies to communicate and collaborate with public and private schools.

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