Gov. Charlie Crist has cemented Florida’s status as the main voucher state by expanding the corporate tax credit scholarship program. Crist quietly signed the expansion bill yesterday, according to a press release sent out at 5:50 p.m.

The new law expands the amount corporations can annually contribute to the program from $88 million to $118 million. Supporters say that’s sufficient to give private-school scholarships to another 5,000 low-income kids. The program currently serves about 20,000. (To read more, go

Even before the expansion, Florida was tops among states, with 38,855 voucher recipients, according to the Alliance for School Choice. Pennsylvania is No. 2, with 38,046, followed by Arizona with 27,734.

Also yesterday, Crist signed SB 1908, which among things changes the way high schools will be graded. To read more, see that St. Petersburg Times story here.

- Ron Matus, state education reporter

Original post by Times Editor