One of the FCCB's key legislative priorities for the 2021 Legislative Session is eliminating the prior-public-school attendance requirement in the Family Empowerment Scholarship and the McKay Scholarship while also continuing to promote educational pluralism and parental empowerment. SB 48 (Diaz) addresses both of these issues and is strongly supported by the FCCB. The bill streamlines and consolidates Florida's five K-12 scholarships into two programs, removes all existing requirements for students to be enrolled in a public school before participating in a scholarship program, and gives parents greater flexibility as to how they use scholarship funds to meet the particular needs of their students' education. You can read more about the measure on the FCCB Education Policy Team blog, Education and the Common Good.

SB 52 (Rodrigues, R.) establishes the Dual Enrollment Scholarship Program, providing access to dual enrollment courses for all Florida students. This is an improvement over current law which includes barriers for non-public schools and their students to the many educational advantages of enrollment in both high school and post-secondary courses. Mike Barrett, FCCB associate for education, testified in support of the bill. The bill passed its first committee of reference and is on the agenda for the Appropriations Subcommittee on Education, February 9.

TALLAHASSEE, FL (July 29, 2020) – Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops (FCCB) is pleased to announce that Michael T. (“Mike”) Barrett, Esq. has joined the staff as an associate for education. Barrett serves as a professional resource person for the FCCB in education matters; coordinates, monitors and advocates issues relating to government programs affecting Florida Catholic schools, their administrators, faculty, and pupils; and represents Catholic education at the state level in Florida and in coordination with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) at the federal level. He represents the FCCB with the Florida Association of Academic Nonpublic Schools (FAANS) and maintains relationships with various school-choice organizations and special needs groups.

On June 30, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a 5-4 decision in the case of Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, upholding a tax-credit scholarship program in Montana. The Montana Supreme Court invalidated the program as a violation of the "Blaine Amendment" against aid to religious schools in its state constitution, because families benefiting include those who choose to send their children to religiously-affiliated schools.

In a May 20 letter to Governor Ron DeSantis, Michael Sheedy, FCCB executive director, asked the governor to consider the needs of students in Catholic schools as he decides how to use emergency funding awarded to state governors' offices to meet the needs of students and schools impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The funding was authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act passed by Congress on March 27.

Scholarships are available to assist with Catholic school tuition for families facing financial difficulties and whose financial situations may have changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Families may qualify for a Step Up for Students scholarship to send their child to a K-12 Catholic school in Florida. For example, a family of four that makes less than $78,600 annually may qualify. For more information, see a video message from Bishop Gerald M. Barbarito of the Diocese of Palm Beach, FCCB education moderator, and visit the website of Step Up For Students.

For decades, Florida has played a leading role in creating policies to empower parents in determining the best schools or programs to serve their children. The state offers a robust lineup of scholarships for students from low-income families or with special education needs. These options offer parents a lifeline of hope and opportunity for their schoolchildren despite facing income or job loss due to the current crisis.

The present COVID-19 pandemic has significantly unsettled people's lives. Many families are isolated at home in order to promote public health. Schools have closed their doors, leaving teachers, parents, and students struggling to adjust to distance learning.

Coach Larissa Maloney at Father Lopez Catholic High School in Daytona Beach has received worldwide attention through her online physical education instruction in response to the distance learning due to the coronavirus. Maloney, head volleyball coach and a PE instructor, started a YouTube Channel, Active Kids 2.0, with the goal of live streaming 30-minute workouts every day in order to keep her students and players active. Her workouts have been a tremendous hit and are reaching and impacting people around the world.