Florida is projected to spend more state education funding on private school vouchers in Miami-Dade County than on traditional public and charter schools combined for the first time in the 2026-27 school year.

The state expects to allocate approximately $766 million to private school scholarships for 82,470 students, compared with $737 million in state formula funding for 303,506 traditional public and charter school students, according to Florida Department of Education budget documents cited by the Miami Herald.

The $29 million difference marks a shift in how state education dollars are distributed in Florida's largest school district.

The comparison covers the state portion of education formula funding, not total school spending. Miami-Dade public schools also receive substantial local property tax revenue and other funding.

The shift affects the broader funding environment for public schools serving Palmetto Bay and Cutler Bay, including Coral Reef Senior High and Miami Palmetto Senior High, although the figures do not establish specific funding reductions at either school.

Voucher expansion changes state funding balance

Florida expanded eligibility for its Family Empowerment Scholarship program in 2023, making state-funded education scholarships available to nearly all K-12 students regardless of household income.

Participation has grown as enrollment in traditional public schools has declined.

Miami-Dade's voucher enrollment is projected to reach approximately 82,500 students this school year, an increase of about 10,000 from the previous year, according to the Herald.

Traditional public school enrollment stood at 215,078 on Aug. 13, down approximately 15,100 students from the previous year.

The state provides about 25% of Miami-Dade's education funding under the formula examined by the Herald. Local property taxes account for a much larger share because of the county's comparatively high property values.

That structure creates challenges as more students use state-funded scholarships.

Five Florida counties — Collier, Martin, Monroe, Sarasota and Walton — encountered similar funding imbalances during the 2025-26 school year.

In those counties, projected voucher obligations exceeded their calculated state aid, requiring adjustments to the funding system.

"Even though our voucher numbers hadn't gone up, the public school students had gone down, so there wasn't enough money to pay for all the students who get the vouchers," Monroe County School Board member Sue Woltanski told the Herald.

State lawmakers have made adjustments intended to address the imbalance, including changes to local revenue calculations and provisions allowing additional state funding for affected districts.

State Rep. Alex Rizo, R-Hialeah, a former charter school principal who serves on two legislative education committees, told the Herald that Florida's decades-old education funding formula needs broader changes.

Miami-Dade faces enrollment and budget pressures

The funding shift comes as Miami-Dade County Public Schools confronts declining enrollment and rising financial pressures.

School Board Chair Meri Tere Rojas described the district's financial situation as a "financial crisis" during a September budget meeting, according to the Miami Herald.

The School Board approved a $7.4 billion budget for 2026-27, more than 3% below the previous year's budget. The district also established a $20 million reserve to help absorb additional enrollment-related losses.

Voters face another education funding decision Nov. 3, when Miami-Dade residents will decide whether to renew an existing property tax supporting instructional compensation and school security.

The proposed renewal would maintain a rate of $1 per $1,000 of taxable property value. The district estimates the tax will generate approximately $569.5 million annually, with 88% designated for instructional compensation and 12% for school safety and security.

Voters previously approved similar measures in 2018 and 2022.

Debate grows over future school funding

The expanding voucher program has prompted debate over whether Florida should change how it finances public and private education.

Some education advocates favor separating voucher funding from the existing district funding formula. Others support giving private school students access to a broader mix of state and local education revenue.

Danny Aqua of Teach Florida, an organization that advocates for private and Jewish schools, told the Herald that a more consistent funding structure could benefit both school districts and scholarship recipients.

University of Miami education finance professor Bruce Baker suggested that lawmakers could eventually consider requiring local tax revenue to help finance vouchers.

Such a change would require legislative action and is not part of the current Miami-Dade school tax referendum.

For now, the state's 2026-27 projections show private school scholarships accounting for more than half of Miami-Dade's state formula funding, even as traditional public and charter schools serve most of the students included in the calculation.