Ron DeSantis built his reputation as a school choice champion who leads from the front.
Florida parents watched him fight teachers unions and bureaucrats for years to give them educational freedom.
And Ron DeSantis made one last-minute move that left other GOP governors scratching their heads.
DeSantis Finally Jumps Into Federal School Choice After Holding Out
Ron DeSantis announced Wednesday that Florida would join Trump's federal Education Freedom Tax Credit program starting January 2027.
The program lets taxpayers redirect up to $1,700 from their federal tax bill to scholarship organizations instead of sending it to Washington, D.C.
DeSantis was the only Republican governor of a Southern state who hadn't signed on yet.
Twenty-three other GOP governors already opted in months ago while DeSantis held back.
Nebraska's Jim Pillen signed up back in September saying he was "cannonballing" the program into his state.
Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, Texas, and every other red state in the South beat Florida to the decision.
https://twitter.com/GovRonDeSantis/status/2016624818804670929?s=20
"This will be something that will start in January of 2027 for taxpayers to be able to do," DeSantis said at Grace Christian Academy in Valrico. "It gives parents more resources, more options."
Florida already has 1.4 million students using school choice including 530,000 with private school scholarships.
DeSantis signed universal school choice into law in 2023 eliminating all income restrictions.
The Heritage Foundation ranked Florida number one for education freedom four straight years.
So why did the nation's school choice leader wait five months while other governors raced ahead?
DeSantis Questioned Whether Florida Even Needed Federal Help
"I'm not sure why they did that," DeSantis said about the opt-in requirement.
He argued states like Florida that already champion school choice shouldn't need permission to participate.
The real fight should be forcing blue states to give parents options, he explained.
"Where you really need these scholarships, you need to get into Chicago and give these kids a lifeline," DeSantis said. "You need to get into Los Angeles."
Teachers unions in Democrat-controlled states will block their governors from opting in, DeSantis predicted.
That leaves millions of kids trapped in failing government schools while red state families access multiple options.
DeSantis also wanted guarantees the federal program wouldn't "subtract from what we're doing" in Florida.
https://twitter.com/GovRonDeSantis/status/2016541136081268826?s=20
Florida provides up to $9,000 per student in universal choice scholarships from state funds.
Adding federal money on top means families could access $10,700 in combined scholarships.
Parents can use the new federal funds for private tutoring, educational supplies, books, and specialized services beyond just tuition.
"We don't really know how many taxpayers are going to opt into this or not," DeSantis admitted. "And we don't know how many states are going to ultimately participate."
Trump's Program Gives Blue States No Excuse
The federal tax credit puts maximum pressure on Democrat governors.
Parents in New York, California, and Illinois will watch families in red states get additional resources while their governors refuse to participate.
Democrat-run states can't claim the program costs them money since it's a federal tax credit.
They can't argue Trump is forcing states to adopt school choice since governors must opt in.
The only argument left is that teachers unions don't want parents to have choices.
https://twitter.com/StasiKamoutsas/status/2016540618189685081?s=20
DeSantis was the last major Republican holdout questioning whether the program was necessary.
His concerns about federal overreach into education made sense given Florida's success building choice from the ground up.
But standing alone outside Trump's coalition while every other GOP governor joined would send the wrong message.
Florida families deserve every dollar they can get to escape woke indoctrination in government schools.
Trump's program gives red states a unified front to shame blue state governors into finally putting parents first.
DeSantis joining now completes the Republican wall on school choice heading into the 2026 midterms.
Sources:
- Michelle Vecerina, "DeSantis announces Florida to join federal school choice expansion under 'Big Beautiful Bill,'" Florida Politics, January 28, 2026.
- A.G. Gancarski and Jacob Ogles, "Gov. DeSantis signs on to federal Education Freedom Tax Credit," Florida Politics, January 28, 2026.
- Staff Reports, "Eleven states take action on federal school choice tax credit program in January," Ballotpedia News, January 27, 2026.
- Education Week, "Federal Program Will Bring Private School Choice to At Least 4 New States," January 28, 2026.
- Office of Governor Ron DeSantis, "Governor Ron DeSantis Announces Florida Opts in to Federal Education Freedom Tax Credit Supporting School Choice," January 28, 2026.
