To observers of education policy, the large number of events comes as no surprise. Florida has one of the strongest school choice policy environments in the country compared to other states. In fact, the Sunshine State ranks No. 2 on The Center for Education Reform’s Parent Power Index, which evaluates states based on qualitative and proven education policies that provide choices for families and deliver successful outcomes for students.

Florida’s voucher program helps over 27,000 students with special needs; tax credit-funded scholarships assist over 60,000 students; and an estimated 239,996 Sunshine State students are enrolled in charter schools. Through the Florida Virtual School (FVS), there are more online learners in Florida than any other state. Lawmakers have expanded the state’s wildly successful tax credit-based school choice scholarship program, and established a new, albeit limited, program of personal learning scholarship accounts for special-needs learners.

However, these numbers merely represent approximately 7 percent of Florida’s public school population, meaning even one of the most choice-friendly states in the country still has a lot of work to do. Parents need and want more. They want their children to be eligible for scholarships, for funding to directly follow kids into the classroom, and for students to be in the best possible learning environment regardless of Zip code or background.

Parents are eagerly lining up to access personal learning scholarship accounts that allow students with special needs to have a more customized education experience with critical resources.

The breadth and makeup of state laws are critical in determining availability of choice and innovations in communities. It will be incumbent on lawmakers to continue the strengthening of laws on the books, while exploring new pathways toward excellent education models.