Slow voucher expansion

On school vouchers, the Legislature seems determined to do too little too late AND too much too soon.

Almost two years after The Post began publishing abundant examples of how existing voucher programs suffer from inadequate oversight and outright thievery, the House has proposed only a token set of reforms. The Senate is trying a bit harder to make real improvements. But even there, those who favor lax voucher rules have sought to substitute the wimpy House version. Even this faint interest is an improvement over last year, when no reforms passed.

Private school "entrepreneurs" have taken vouchers for students who don't exist. "Consultants" have taken fees to funnel voucher money to home-schoolers who aren't entitled to it. Voucher schools don't have to provide any proof that their students are making academic progress. Unlike Florida's public schools, voucher schools can hire teachers with no credentials or experience, and don't have to do background checks on employees. Private schools can discriminate on the basis of religion when admitting voucher students.

Against that backdrop and before passing any meaningful reforms, the House wants to increase the number of students in the corporate voucher program by 5 percent a year, up from the current cap of $88 million. Worse, legislative committees have advanced and expanded Gov. Bush's plan to provide another new voucher program. Under the House bill, which would give vouchers to students who fail the reading FCAT any two out of three years, 350,000 students would be eligible. Making the rush to balloon the voucher programs even more irresponsible, the new vouchers would divert state money to religious schools. That flaw has led Florida courts to declare that similar vouchers violate the state constitution. The issue is on appeal to the Florida Supreme Court, which has yet to schedule oral arguments.

Voucher reforms are too little too late. Voucher expansion is too much too soon. All of it is a distraction and an excuse not to give public schools the support they need. With that anti-school attitude firmly in place, real improvements will come later rather than sooner.