School Voucher Program For Low-Income Minority Students Ruled Unconstitutional By Florida Supreme Court

Public opinion polls continue to show widespread support among African Americans for public school vouchers, which permit parents of children from low-performing schools to transfer their children to better quality public schools or even to private or parochial schools.

But the voucher movement was dealt a serious blow recently when the Florida Supreme Court struck down the state’s school voucher program. In its ruling the court said that the voucher program violated a provision in the state constitution calling for a "uniform system of public education."

As a result of the decision, about 700 students who have been attending private school with state money will no longer be able to do so. A large percentage of the students using the private school vouchers are black or Hispanic.

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