Heartland Institute Experts React to Dismissal of Lawsuit
Against Florida School Choice Program
On Tuesday, Circuit Court Judge George Reynolds dismissed the lawsuit on the adequacy of school funding brought by Citizens for Strong Schools, Inc. and Fund Education Now. Judge Reynolds ruled Florida made education a priority by increasing funding and setting up an accountability system. He said school choice programs are “likely to improve the quality and efficiency of the entire system,” and that the state could not be held liable for failures to allocate resources at the local level.
The following statements from education experts at The Heartland Institute – a free-market think tank – may be used for attribution. For more comments, refer to the contact information below. To book a Heartland guest on your program, please contact New Media Specialist Donald Kendal at [email protected] and 312/377-4000.
“In dismissing this case, Judge Reynolds reaffirmed what data has proven for years: Money does not necessarily equal performance. This ruling is a recognition that Florida’s model of education choice provides students with more effective and varied education opportunities.”
“This is a great victory for the students of Florida who no longer have to be told where, when, and how they must be educated by bureaucrats in want of more money and protection from competition.”
Lennie Jarratt
Project Manager, Education
The Heartland Institute
[email protected]
312/377-4000
“The Sunshine State has been a leader in education choice for 17 years, benefitting nearly an entire generation of Florida students. This lawsuit threatened, in one stroke, to undo all the good work begun by Gov. Jeb Bush and the Legislature at the turn of the century.”
“Fortunately, Judge Reynolds recognized Florida’s school choice programs offer families equal access to high-quality schools that meet their widely diverse needs and do so with no harm to public education. Florida families owe him a debt of gratitude.”
Tim Benson
Policy Analyst
The Heartland Institute
[email protected]
312/377-4000
The Heartland Institute is a 32-year-old national nonprofit organization headquartered in Arlington Heights, Illinois. Its mission is to discover, develop, and promote free-market solutions to social and economic problems. For more information, visit our Web site or call 312/377-4000.
Lennie Jarratt is the former director of the Center for Education Opportunities at The Heartland Institute
Tim Benson joined The Heartland Institute in September 2015 as a policy analyst in the Government Relations Department.
