Imagine a world where every child can access an education unique to their aspirations and talents.

Florida’s universal Education Savings Account (ESA) program is turning this vision into reality, empowering families to transform their children’s futures. Education is not a one-size-fits-all endeavor; Florida’s school choice programs have enabled countless families to tailor their children’s education to best meet their particular needs and goals.

Reflecting on last week’s National School Choice Week, it’s a good time to recall that Florida has been a leader in school choice for more than two decades. It was one of the first states to adopt a school choice scholarship program in 2001, offering a limited number of scholarships to low-income families to attend private schools. Over the years, though, our state’s school choice programs have transformed, so now the same kind of quality education is accessible to families from all income levels and is not limited in the number of scholarships given out.

Two years ago, Florida took a monumental step forward when the Legislature passed a landmark measure establishing a universal ESA program. This groundbreaking system gives families the financial resources to choose the best education options for their children. During the current school year, students receive scholarships averaging approximately $8,000 each, empowering families to invest in private schools, tutoring, home-school materials, and other vital educational resources. Today, over 500,000 students are utilizing scholarships in Florida, and over 300,000 benefit from the Florida Empowerment Scholarship.

Florida’s universal ESA program has expanded access to quality education and has become an essential pillar of educational freedom in the state. Keeping this program intact is critical to ensuring that every family, regardless of ZIP code or income, can make the best decisions for their children’s future. Protecting universal ESAs means safeguarding a child’s right to a tailored education, reinforcing Florida’s commitment to innovation, and maintaining its leadership in school choice nationwide.

Beyond academic metrics, school choice embodies the fundamental principle of freedom. By easing the financial constraints that often drive family education decisions, these programs empower parents to choose the schools and resources that align with their values and their children’s needs.

No one knows a child better than their parents; school choice recognizes and respects this fundamental truth. It enables families to make informed decisions that allow their children to thrive.

The success of Florida’s school choice programs would not have been possible without the foresight of legislative leaders and Gov. Ron DeSantis, as well as the leadership of state Education Commissioner Manny Diaz and the dedicated team at the Department of Education, which is implementing them.

Their hard work and commitment have ensured these opportunities reach the families and students who need them most. There is clear momentum on the federal and state levels to prioritize and expand funding for school choice.

Last week’s recognition of National School Choice Week underscored the profound impact these programs have had on hundreds of thousands of students across Florida. The universal ESA program has improved academic outcomes and expanded freedom for families, fostering an education system that prioritizes excellence and individual success. We’re excited to continue sharing its success stories, ensuring that every Florida student can succeed in the educational environment that best suits them.

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Skylar Zander serves as the state director for Americans for Prosperity-Florida.

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Last Call – A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida politics.

First Shot

The Governor’s budget recommendation has landed.

The plan, released just before the deadline late Sunday, calls for $115.6 billion in overall spending. That’s a slight decrease from the current-year budget, which weighed in at $116.5 billion post-vetoes.

The Republican seems to have his eye on austerity, naming his proposal “Focus on Fiscal Responsibility. A chunk of the year-over-year decrease comes from slashing positions at a handful of state agencies.

The Department of Health would see the largest reduction, with DeSantis’ proposal nixing a net 484 positions as he slashes the total budget by more than 10.7%. He also wants 325 fewer positions in the Department of Children and Families, though he wants to increase its budget in dollars by almost 1.5%. But he wants to increase the budget for the State Court System by about 4.6%, while increasing staffing by a net 112 positions.

The Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is also in the crosshairs amid the Governor’s ongoing feud with Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson.

The FDACS cuts equate to a 13% ($398 million) reduction from the current-year budget, recommending overall funding of $2.68 billion for the department. Much of the reduction is directed at the Agriculture Department’s executive direction and support services, which would be slashed by a staggering 73%, lowering it from the currently budgeted $126.3 million to just $33.6 million.

DeSantis’ recommendation also redirects some health care spending, providing more than $266.9 million for cancer research advancement. This includes $132.5 million for the Casey DeSantis Cancer Research Program, $60 million for the Florida Cancer Innovation Fund, and another $30 million for the launch of the Cancer Connect Collaborative Incubator, which focuses on pediatric cancer research.

Visit Florida Politics for further coverage of DeSantis’ budget recommendation. 

Evening Reads

—”Donald Trump moves to wrest control of USAID as Elon Musk says, ‘We’re shutting it down’” via John Hudson, Ellen Nakashima, Missy Ryan, Mariana Alfaro and Faiz Siddiqui of The Washington Post

—”Purging the government could backfire spectacularly” via Rogé Karma of The Atlantic

—“The legal theory that would make Trump the most powerful president in U.S. history” via Ian Millhiser of Vox

—”Trump’s trade move could increase costs for many online goods” via Ana Swanson and Keith Bradsher of The New York Times

—”Trump followed through on tariffs. Is he ready for the fallout? Are Americans?” via Bill Barrow of The Associated Press

—”Gov. Ron DeSantis proposes $116B budget, wants focus on ‘fiscal responsibility’” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics

—”DeSantis wants cuts to Agriculture Department amid feud with Wilton Simpson” via Gabrielle Russon of Florida Politics

—”Live Local Act backlash growing in Fort Lauderdale. But some say give state’s affordable housing law a chance.” via Susannah Bryan of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel

—”Everyone’s rattled by the rise of DeepSeek — except NVIDIA, which enabled it” via Raffaele Huang, Stu Woo and Asa Fitch of The Wall Street Journal

—“Grammys finally delivers the Beyoncé victory we’ve been waiting for” via Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone

Quote of the Day

“We know what works, and we need to continue to double down on those efforts. We’re showing that you could be fiscally responsible, respect taxpayers and yet still deliver on the main promises that you made and the main public needs of our people.”

— Gov. Ron DeSantis, on his 2025-26 budget recommendation.

Put it on the Tab

Look to your left, then look to your right. If you see one of these people at your happy hour haunt, flag down the bartender and put one of these on your tab. Recipes included, just in case the Cocktail Codex fell into the well.

Oysters have a rich tradition in both Florida and the art of mixology. By recommending $30 million to restore the Sunshine State’s oyster reefs, the Governor earned his pick of top Oyster-Based Cocktails.

Despite cuts in other areas, the “Focus on Fiscal Responsibility” budget pitches $3.2 billion for environmental proposals. That means an Everglades Special in order.

With the Governor recommending major cuts at FDACS, Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson could use a Bull Shot.

Breakthrough Insights

Tune In

Bethune-Cookman looks to stay perfect at home

Bethune-Cookman tries to match the team’s longest winning streak of the season tonight as the Wildcats host Alabama A&M (7 p.m. ET, CatEye Network).

Bethune-Cookman (8-13, 5-3 SWAC) has not won more than two consecutive games all season but has been outstanding at home, winning all four games at Moore Gymnasium in Daytona Beach. The Wildcats enter the week tied with Florida A&M for fourth place in the SWAC standings. On Saturday, BCU defeated Alabama State 67-64. Trey Thomas led the Wildcats with 19 points and a season-high 10 rebounds, while Daniel Rouzan added 17 points in 23 minutes of play. 

A challenging non-conference schedule helped to prepare Bethune-Cookman for the SWAC campaign. Road losses to Texas Tech, Nebraska, Minnesota, Virginia, West Virginia, and Mississippi State hurt the overall record, but the lessons learned have paid off against SWAC opponents. 

Alabama A&M (4-18, 3-6) has lost five of their last six games, including a 95-79 loss at Florida A&M on Saturday. The Bulldogs have yet to win a road game this season. Only two players average double figures in scoring this season for Alabama A&M. AC Bryant (14.8 ppg), and Chad Moodie (11.0) lead a squad with nine players averaging more than five points per contest.

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Last Call is published by Peter Schorsch, assembled and edited by Phil Ammann and Drew Wilson, with contributions from the staff of Florida Politics.

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President Donald Trump’s administration is ending protections that shielded roughly 350,000 Venezuelans from deportation, leaving them with two months before they lose their right to work in the U.S.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s order affects 348,202 Venezuelans living in the U.S. with Temporary Protected Status (TPS) slated to expire in April. That’s about half of the approximately 600,000 who have the protection. The remaining protections are set to expire at the end of September.

The termination notice will be published Wednesday and go into effect 60 days later.

It’s among the latest Trump administration actions targeting the immigration system, as officials work to make good on promises of cracking down on people illegally living in the country and to carry out the largest mass deportation effort in U.S. history.

Congress created TPS in 1990 to prevent deportations to countries suffering from natural disasters or civil strife, giving people authorization to work in increments of up to 18 months. About 1 million immigrants from 17 countries are protected by TPS. Venezuelans are one of the largest beneficiaries.

In the decision, the Department of Homeland Security said conditions had improved enough in Venezuela to warrant ending protective status. Noem also said that the TPS designation had been used to allow people who otherwise didn’t have an immigration pathway to settle in America.

The gang originated in a lawless prison in the central state of Aragua more than a decade ago but has expanded in recent years as millions of desperate Venezuelans fled President Nicolás Maduro’s rule and migrated to other parts of Latin America or the U.S.

During his campaign, Trump repeatedly hammered at dangers posed by the gang, sparking criticism that he was painting all immigrants as criminals.

The TPS designation gives people legal authority to be in the country but doesn’t provide a long-term path to citizenship. They are reliant on the government renewing their status when it expires. Critics have said that over time, renewal of status becomes automatic, regardless of what’s happening in the person’s home country.

In the waning days of the Biden administration, Noem’s predecessor, Alejandro Mayorkas, extended the protections for Venezuelans until October 2026.

But Noem revoked that decision.

The U.S. doesn’t have diplomatic relations with Venezuela, limiting deportation options. But Trump administration says it has made securing deportations to Venezuela a top goal. On Friday, his envoy for special missions, Richard Grenell, traveled to Venezuela and met with Maduro. Six American prisoners there were released following the meeting.

After the visit Trump, wrote on his social media site Truth Social that Venezuela agreed to receive back their citizens, potentially breaking the deportation logjam.

Venezuela’s government has so far not confirmed that they will take back their citizens.

Trump took similar steps during his first term when he tried to end Temporary Protected Status for people from El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua and Sudan. But immigration advocacy groups sued, keeping the restrictions from being pulled.

The news of the termination notice was first reported by The New York Times.

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Republished with permission of The Associated Press.

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