The Orange County School Board on Tuesday, approved a resolution opposing Amendment 8 which would be on the November 6 ballot. Seven members voted for the resolution in opposition to the amendment, while Board Chair, Bill Sublette voted no.
Amendment 8, known as the “Religious Freedom” constitutional amendment, if approved by voters, would have a huge negative impact on Florida public schools, draining billions of dollars away and making it easier to create a voucher program, directing state tax dollars to pay tuition to private schools.
A recent report by the Florida Center for Fiscal and Economic Policy revealed that Amendment 8 could cost between $3.7 billion to $6.5 billion over five years, depending on how the voucher program is designed. These funds, instead of being spent for teachers, staff, and other instructional purposes at public schools, would be used to pay private school tuition for hundred of thousands of students, the report revealed.
The Orange County School Board joins the Central Florida Public Schools Boards Coalition in passing the resolution opposing Amendment 8. The Florida School Boards Association also passed a similar measure opposing Amendment 8.
