ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Florida’s school choice programs are at the center of a heated debate.

Supporters held a press conference on Wednesday in St. Petersburg to push back against a lawsuit filed by the Florida Education Association calling for transparency and accountability, challenging parts of the state’s education scholarship and charter school programs.

The press conference was organized by Step Up for Students, a scholarship funding organization.

“This debate comes down to one simple question,” said Christopher Pastura, superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Diocese of St. Petersburg. “Who is best equipped to make educational decisions for these children, or yours, a bureaucrat sitting in an office hundreds of miles away or the parent who know and love and raise and sacrifice for these children every single day?” 

The FEA’s lawsuit claims that private and charter schools receiving taxpayer dollars through vouchers and scholarships aren’t held to the same standards as public schools, and because of that, public schools are struggling.

“We’re asking for the legislature to actually enforce the constitution, which means if taxpayer money is being used, there should be accountability to taxpayers. If parents are being given options, then they should have all of the information in those options,” said Andrew Spar, president of the Florida Education Association.

But Leslie Coker, who has two sons with special needs, says public school wouldn’t meet their needs, and they couldn’t afford their current school without the state scholarship.

“I am not anti-public school. Public schools work for many children, but they don’t work for every child, including my sons,” Coker said. “Those students need alternative options, the kind that the state scholarships provide. For me, the lawsuit is not political, it’s personal.”

Lee Bryant, president of the Pinellas Classroom Teachers Association, says parents do have choices in public schools and can feel confident sending their children knowing they’ve met all state standards.

“We have choices in schools. You can choose the school that best meets your child’s needs. We have nearly 100 different attractors and programs in Pinellas County Schools. There’s something out there for everybody, and we accept everybody,” said Bryant.

The lawsuit is in its early stages. No court date has been set yet.