Gov. Bush Has Alternative For Vouchers

A challenge to the constitutionality of Florida's two school voucher programs is pending in the Florida Supreme Court. One program allows students in failing schools to attend private schools, including religious ones. The second program provides similar vouchers to disabled students. Now the Orlando Sentinel reports that Governor Jeb Bush is preparing a backup plan to keep voucher students in these schools if the programs are struck down as being in violation of Florida's constitution. Bush's plan would call for corporations to grant scholarships to students, and get the cost of the scholarships back through state tax credits. This would avoid direct transfers of state funds to parochial schools.